BROOKLYN, NY—Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced today that Joel Mangal, a 40-year-old man from Flatbush, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following a violent incident at a Bedford-Stuyvesant deli. The sentencing was carried out by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully, who also imposed five years of post-release supervision.
Mangal pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder on June 11, 2024, for his actions on October 30, 2021, which included the use of a Molotov cocktail that resulted in an explosion and subsequent fire inside the deli located at 496 Nostrand Avenue. This attack not only endangered the lives of two employees but also led to one worker suffering burns.
According to the investigation, the sequence of events began early in the morning when Mangal threatened the deli employees and caused property damage by throwing an apple that broke a television screen. He escalated his threats into action by throwing a Molotov cocktail into the deli, creating a fireball and forcing employees to flee through the flames for safety.
Mangal attempted to launch a second Molotov cocktail, but was thwarted by a passerby. As he fled the scene towards the Nostrand Avenue subway station, the deli workers pursued him. During the chase, Mangal stabbed one of the workers in the hand. The injured worker subsequently assisted a police officer in apprehending Mangal on the subway platform.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jessica Wishart of the District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau, under the leadership of Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Bureau Chief. DA Gonzalez emphasized that the sentence reflects the severity of Mangal’s actions and holds him accountable for endangering lives and causing bodily harm.
