Police: Man Threw Molotov Cocktail At Group Of Men In Midtown
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Witnesses shared their stories Tuesday night, as police searched for a man they said threw a Molotov cocktail at a group of men in Midtown.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, dozens of posters were mounted on lamp posts and in store windows in Hell's Kitchen Tuesday night, in a plea to help police find the suspect.
The attack happened around 1:30 p.m. Friday in front of 356 W. 37th St.
The man had apparently first tried to walk away from a fight. But he returned to walk up to the group of food cart vendors and throw a glass bottle with flammable liquid and a burning rag in their direction, police said.
The bottle shattered on the ground, which started a small fire on the sidewalk, police said.
The suspect took off, heading south on Ninth Avenue. No one was hurt.
The suspect was seen on surveillance video. Police describe him as a white man, about 5'9" tall, weighing around 215 pounds and wearing a backpack.
The location where the man threw the Molotov cocktail is a gathering place with chairs outside for food cart workers. Witnesses said in the middle of the day Friday, the man angrily demanded the men give up a chair for him to sit on.
"He got into it with one of the… guys over here that own the carts. They were sitting down, and then the guy – I think he was homeless or something, but he was already drunk. He told one of them to get off the chair, and he ended up smacking him -- the drunk guy smacked the guy sitting down, and then the guy sitting down threw the coffee at his face," said deli worker Ahmed Mohsen.
Mohsen said the man's revenge was swiftly executed, though fortunately, the fire did not hurt anyone.
And as suspect fled south on Ninth Avenue, a group of Jewish students mistakenly reported they were his targets.
"I didn't expect something like this to happen in 2015 in Manhattan, New York City," said one of the students Yosef Rachimi, as another man, Mendy Turen, interpreted for him.
Rachimi arrived in the city of from Israel last month. He was with some friends walking on 37th Street, but is now believed to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Suddenly a bottle was thrown towards our direction; exploded," Turen said. "It came from behind him. He didn't know who it was."
An officer was standing guard and scanning the crowd at the scene late Tuesday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
