Arson at Chocolate Coffee bar in Catania, owner and accomplice arrested

Last Updated: May 26, 2024

The owner of the Cioccolato Cafè bar, destroyed by a fire on April 2nd on the Ognina waterfront in Catania, has been arrested by the police: Alessandro Leone, 42 years old, is being investigated for arson, manufacturing, possession, and carrying of deadly devices in a public or open place aggravated. The same charges have been laid against his alleged accomplice, Antonio Russo, 40 years old, who was also arrested by the Mobile Squad of the police following a court order for custody in prison issued by the judge at the request of the prosecutor. The bar had already been damaged by another fire in November 2023, for reasons that were not clear. In the fire last April, the two men were allegedly burned and therefore went to different hospitals to seek medical treatment. Through the analysis of surveillance camera footage and witness testimonies, the police were able to strengthen the evidence, outlining the alleged roles and contributions of the two suspects. According to the accusation, the 42-year-old had bought gasoline that night at a nearby gas station and then met with the 40-year-old. The two then went to the bar to ignite the fire using homemade Molotov cocktails, causing an explosion powerful enough to cause their injuries and compromise the stability of the building, as well as destroy the furnishings and shatter the windows. During a search, the Mobile Squad found tools and items used for the execution of the plan in the 42-year-old’s car: two funnels, a roll of paper towels, latex glove fragments, a fuel station receipt, and a fabric cleaner. An auxiliary worker, 39 years old, employed by a cleaning company at the hospital where the 42-year-old was hospitalized, is being investigated for personal favoritism, after notifying him of the presence of bugs in the hospital ward. The judge ordered him to remain in his town of residence.