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NEW YORK -- A man who stood on a Queens rooftop and tossed Molotov cocktail-style firebombs at the street below has been taken into custody, police said.Police tell WNBC.com that Felipe Velasquez told them he ended up on the roofs of several homes on 123rd Street and threw Molotov cocktails onto the street below because he was having a bad day.Velasquez, who caused one unmarked police car to catch fire in a residential neighborhood in Richmond Hill, was captured at around 7:15 p.m., according to police.
Video shot Tuesday shows the man pacing while apparently holding one of the weapons. Later, Chopper 4 filmed the man sitting on a roof.
A police spokesman said the incident occurred on 123rd Street between Hillside and Jamaica Avenues in the Richmond Hill section. Police cordoned off the area and evacuated the people on the street to the ends of the block.
A large police presence had responded to the scene.
It was unclear exactly what happened or what sparked the confrontation.
Police said they first responded to the area because of a 911 call from an Orthodox Jewish man who said he was cut in the head by a man with a machete as he was getting off of the J Train around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
As police searched for the suspect, they said they realized their unattended vehicle had caught fire.
No injuries were reported.
A witness told WNBC.com that four Molotov cocktails were thrown off of the roof, however, police were not able to confirm a number.
Nearby homes were evacuated, and even firefighters kept their distance because they were unable to tell where the bombs would land.
A neighbor said he never noticed anything out of the ordinary with the alleged firebomb-thrower.
"Normally he comes up and he smokes," said the man. "I pass him, he sits by the step. I say, 'Hi,' he says, 'Hi,' we go on my way, you know."
The neighbor described the man as "quiet."
"I'm surprised to come out and see all these things happening out there, you know?"Eventually Velasquez climbed down the roof and into police custody.
WNBC.com will provide updates as soon as they become available.
