Get Herald RSSA Molotov cocktail was thrown into the yard of the former Providence Temple Beth-El Wednesday morning. Although the vandals used the same style of firebomb as the attacker who threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of Hillel employee and Israeli emissary Yossi Knafo Saturday, police say the incidents do not seem related, according to a March 19 article on the Web site of WJAR, Providence's NBC affiliate.
The police have since arrested three teenagers from Providence and Central Falls. The juveniles were accused of breaking into and vandalizing a house and have since been charged with fifth-degree arson, breaking and entering, conspiracy and other accounts, WJAR reported. Until a court hearing on Monday, the teenagers are being held in the Rhode Island Training School.
The juveniles told the police they planned to throw the firebomb into a vacant lot, but threw it on synagogue property upon seeing the police, the WJAR Web site said.
The fire was discovered in the former synagogue yard when a police officer put out the Molotov cocktail flames at 12:30 a.m., the article said.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also involved in the investigation.
