Bed-Stuy Deli Arsonist Sentenced to Prison for Arson – NBC New York

A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Brooklyn deli nearly three years ago, causing significant damage to the business and narrowly killing the two employees inside.

Prosecutors say Joel Mangal, 40, threw a burning device into the deli and attempted to throw a second one into the store on Oct. 30, 2021. He also stabbed a deli employee who chased Mangal as he fled.

Mangal was sentenced in court last week, a month after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. His attorney’s contact information was not available.

Prosecutors alleged that the Flatbush man approached the Bed-Stuy deli before 7 a.m. and threatened to kill two employees inside. After smashing a TV screen with an apple and fleeing, he returned an hour later and threw the Molotov cocktail inside.

Video shared by the FDNY shows the fireball exploding against the deli counter and quickly engulfing much of the store. The video shows one person stumbling through the floor-to-ceiling flames to escape through the deli door, while another person jumps over the counter to escape.

“Fortunately, no one was killed or seriously injured. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his actions,” DA Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.

Mangal tried to throw a second Molotov cocktail into the delicatessen but was stopped by a passerby who knocked the cocktail out of his hand, the lawyer said.

The two deli employees chased the 40-year-old into the Nostrand Avenue subway station, reportedly stabbing one in the hand. They pointed Mangal out to nearby police officers, who handcuffed the fire starter.