NYPD: 4 More Boys Arrested After Jewish School Bus Torched In Hate Crime
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Four more boys were arrested this week after allegedly torching a school bus for a Jewish school for girls in Brooklyn.
According to police, the suspects put several cardboard boxes inside of a yellow school bus after the driver dropped off a group of students at the Bnos Orthodox Jewish School for Girls on Brooklyn Avenue.
The boys then set the cardboard boxes on fire, causing damage to the vehicle, police said.
The boys ran away just as smoke and flames started to engulf the bus. The video shows one of them coming back on a bike and taking a picture.
On Monday, police arrested another 11-year-old boy who they believe was the mastermind of the incident. He is facing arson and criminal mischief charges, both as a hate crime, for allegedly torching the empty Yeshiva school bus.
Four other boys -- another 11-year-old, two 14-year-olds and a 12-year-old were taken into custody on Thursday.
The boys, all from Brooklyn, were charged with arson as a hate crime and criminal mischief as a hate crime, police said.
The NYPD also confirmed that they are looking into another incident involving kids in the same age range, that took place last week. In that incident the suspects allegedly threw a rock or brick at a school bus.