A serial arsonist has torched six newly-built Jewish homes in New York City in as many weeks.
In fact, four of the mansion-sized dwellings intentionally set afire this winter hadn’t even been completed yet, and one belonging to an area rabbi was burnt twice.
The suspicious blazes are occurring within an affluent section of the borough of Queens known as Forest Hills where many Bukharian Jews now live.
The fact that it’s only their opulent properties being targeted for destruction has many such residents there afraid that the serial arsonist is an anti Semite.
Luckily no one, so far, has been injured in any of the attacks, but that may be only because the houses that have been struck weren’t occupied yet.
New York City officials continue to probe the matter hoping a suspect and their motive will soon emerge, an NYPD spokesman said in response to reporters’ questions about the latest arson incident on Monday.
He said police believe the criminal lives in or near the Forest Hills neighborhood, and is an experienced fire-starter, since no accelerants were used to ignite any of the leveled homes.
“At this time we do not think it is a terrorist act or a hate crime,” he also stated.
