Arrest in Baldwin arson

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Nassau police arrested a Baldwin man on arson charges after his former girlfriend's house was firebombed.

Police arrested Joseph Ferrufino, 21, in connection with the 6 a.m. attack on Nov. 24 at 2604 Harrison Ave., in Baldwin, Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun said.

Police allege Ferrufino threw an incendiary device known as a Molotov cocktail into a second-story window of the house, and set a car parked in the driveway on fire. Two people inside the house received minor injuries.

The attack on the house is the second in a week. LeBrun said a similar attempt with a Molotov cocktail was made on Nov. 17, but that attack was unsuccessful. After that attack, and an unsuccessful search for the would-be arsonist, police installed a CAPER alarm in the house. CAPER alarms are electronic devices that send out an immediate call to 911 in an emergency. CAPER stands for Criminal Apprehension Produced by Electronic Resource.

Tuesday morning, LeBrun said, police went to the Harrison Avenue address, just down the street from the First Precinct, when the alarm sounded. They found a second-floor bedroom window was broken. In addition, a 2015 Mercedes Benz in the driveway was engulfed in flames, LeBrun said.

"The defendant poured a flammable liquid onto the vehicle" and ignited it, he said, adding that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown through the window.

A man was seen running north on Harrison. The homeowner, whom LeBrun declined to identify, followed the man, but was unable to catch him. However, he identified the running man as Ferrufino, his daughter's former boyfriend, LeBrun said.

The police found the suspect at Grand and Stanton Avenues, and chased him on foot, finally arresting him on Grand, just south of West Carl Avenue, LeBrun said.

LeBrun said the attack came after Ferrufino, of 1363 Anna Pl., and the girlfriend had broken up. He said the pair had dated from 2011 to 2013, but only had limited contact in the subsequent two years. He said no order of protection against Ferrufino had been filed.

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