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GayCityNews.com | APRIL 21 - May 4, 2022
Man accused of setting LGBTQ-friendly nightclub on fi re
BY XIMENA DEL CERRO
A suspect has been arrested
for starting a fi re that injured
two people at Bushwick’s
Rash, a popular
nightclub within the city’s LBGTQ+
community.
John Lhota, 24, was captured on
security video purchasing a red gas
canister at a service station and fi lling
it with gasoline on the evening of April
3, the US Department of Justice announced
on April 14.
He then went to Rash, on the ground
fl oor of a multi-story building at 94
Willoughby Avenue, where he allegedly
poured gasoline over the fl oor of the
bar. Security video then shows him
tossing a lit cigarette on the fl oor, but
the gasoline did not ignite. In the video,
the arsonist is seen using a cigarette
lighter to ignite the gasoline, causing
an explosion and a fi re.
Two employees of Rash were injured
in the blaze, including a 25-year-old
who was sent to Wyckoff Hospital with
minor burns and another person who
was checked for minor shoulder burns.
“This Offi ce strongly condemns such
acts of violence and will vigorously
prosecute this case,” attorney Breon
Peace said in a written statement. “The
victims, and all LGBTQ+ New Yorkers,
should be able to enjoy their nights out
in peace and without fear of such a
dangerous attack.”
According to New York’s latest Criminal
Justice Research Report, anti-
LGBT crimes accounted for almost 15
percent of the hate crimes reported between
2015 and 2019.
Much of the club, located on the
ground fl oor of a residential building,
was destroyed by the fi re. It remains
closed until further notice.
In addition to starting the fi re at
Rash, Lhota stands accused of assaulting
a woman in his apartment
building just three days before the attack,
according to court documents.
If convicted, Lhota faces a mandatory
minimum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment
or a maximum of 40 years.
“This makes me feel a lot safer,” bar
co-owner Jake Sillen said.
INSTAGRAM/RASH
Rash, a nightclub, was set ablaze on April 3.
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A teenage boy was arrested
for assaulting a transgender
girl near a Brooklyn
high school back in January.
According to police, at 3:15 p.m. on
Jan. 18 the 15-year-old victim was nearby
WH Maxwell Career and Technical
Education High School when she was
approached by the suspect.
The suspect allegedly punched the
victim in the face while making transphobic
statements.
The suspect then fl ed the scene.
The victim suffered minor injuries to
her face, but refused medical attention.
Following an investigation, a 17-yearold
boy was arrested on April 14 and
charged with assault and assault as a
hate crime. His identity is being withheld
due to his age.
CRIME
Brooklyn Man Arrested for Arson at Rash Nightclub
Teen Cuffed for Attacking
Trans Girl in Brooklyn
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