NEW YORK — A man is facing charges after allegedly setting fire to the outside of a Queens restaurant because his order was served incorrectly.
The New York Fire Department released a video of the crime on social media, which shows a man approaching the Ittadi Garden and Grill and pouring out a bucket of liquid. The man then lights a match, igniting a fireball that appears to catch his clothing on fire.
Today, Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced the arrest of Choephel Norbu. #FDNY Fire Marshals along with @NYPDnews Arson and Explosion Detectives arrested Norbu, 49, for intentionally setting a fire. Read more: https://t.co/151Huk3jDY pic.twitter.com/3Hjhiwbw5J
— FDNY (@FDNY) October 17, 2022
FDNY officials identified the man in the video as Choephel Norbu, and said he was charged with arson, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.
Detectives told WNYW that Norbu said he was “very drunk” and was mad because the restaurant did not get his order of chicken biryani correct.
According to court documents obtained by NBC News, Norbu said when he discovered the dish he had was not chicken biryani, he threw it away and bought a gas can, which he then threw at the restaurant.
The fire shattered the restaurant’s windows and destroyed its air conditioning unit, causing more than $1,500 in damage, WNYW reported.
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