Molotov cocktail attack on Bronx deli leaves employee with severe burns

At approximately 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday, a masked assailant hurled a Molotov cocktail into a deli located on West 183rd Street near Jerome Avenue in Fordham Heights, Bronx. The fire engulfed the interior, inflicting severe burns on a 33-year-old employee, whose skin was reported to be peeling off his face and body. Emergency crews responded with a two-alarm call, and the blaze was extinguished after about an hour.

The victim was transported to Jacobi Medical Center, where doctors list him as serious but stable. Police indicated the attacker, believed to be acquainted with the victim, escaped on foot and had not been apprehended as of Wednesday. The victim’s cousin, Mizzy, said a crew of young suspects carried out the attack, and nearby businesses—including a bakery, a fashion shop, and a laundromat—also suffered damage.