A Babylon man vandalized and tried to burn down the restaurant where he used to work on Sunday, Suffolk police said.
Douglas Hopkins, 20, a former employee of the Babylon Carriage House, entered the establishment through a rear door, smashed office equipment and electronics, and “placed combustible items on top of lit stove burners,” police said in a statement. The materials ignited and filled the restaurant with smoke.
A restaurant manager heard the noise and the activation of the fire alarm system, then locked the doors with Hopkins still inside and called police, according to 1st Squad and Arson Squad detectives. First Precinct officers and Babylon Fire Department firefighters responded to extinguish the fire.
Hopkins was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and attempted arson. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Monday.