MONTREAL - Arsonists struck again at an Italian café that they had failed to set on fire two weeks ago.
Police say that two men co-operated in attempting to set fire to Café Danesi in Riviere des Prairies, with one man breaking the window, and a second throwing a Molotov cocktail inside.
Pasquale Cammisano, one of the café/bar's owners, was inside closing up around 4 a.m. when he looked at the security camera feed and noticed a white van pull up in front of the Maurice-Duplessis Blvd. establishment.
He saw two men get out and attack the front windows, then hurl a flaming canister inside.
Cammisano, who was the only person inside, went out the back.
"I never got a good look at their faces," said Cammisano.
The sprinkler system kicked in and doused the flames very quickly, so damage was limited to the broken windows and a few scorch marks.
Two weeks ago would-be arsonists tried to burn down the same café, but they ran off after breaking the window and setting off the burglar alarm.
Cammissano said he had no idea why anyone would attack his café, and he did not know if the same people were responsible for both attacks.
There have been at least 18 firebombings of restaurants and stores in Montreal since August.
