Neighborhoods Man With 45 Previous Arrests Is Arraigned for Arson in Queens
by John Surico
You would think that one arrest is a petty mistake; two arrests, you’re pushing your luck; three arrests, you might want to reconsider your lifestyle. But 45 arrests is a whole other story. And for 43-year-old Thien Dinh, that’s the kind of record he was working when he was arraigned this morning for intentionally setting about 13 fires in Queens County over a five-month span.
The accused suspect was charged on Friday with the crimes of arson, reckless endangerment, and burglary. In the past, Dinh’s 45 arrests included burglary, property damage, and Lord knows what else. The Associated Press reported that it’s “unclear whether or not he has an attorney” and the phone at his place in the Bronx doesn’t work.
But, regardless, his 45 prior arrests will probably make his need for an attorney pretty pointless.
The FDNY marshals started tracking Dinh after a fire on August 20 in which a Laundromat in Queens was set on fire, leading to the injuries of 19 firefighters and costly damages. Eventually, the marshals arrested him this past Thursday, when he was caught red-handed on the scene. According to the authorities, Dinh had a fiery (no pun intended) passion for lighting garbage cans and placing them under cars; sometimes, he’d do about five arsons in one day.
With this arraignment, Dinh’s adds the 46th tally to his criminal record of getting arrested. Hopefully, that number will not go up any higher.