Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of AHMAD MOSSAD, 23, for lighting a 45-year-old club promoter on fire in Times Square. MOSSAD allegedly fled to Egypt following the March incident, and was arrested at JFK airport in November. MOSSAD is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Attempted Murder in the First Degree and one count of Assault in the First Degree. [1]
“This alleged attempted murder is absolutely heinous,” said District Attorney Bragg. “The defendant allegedly sought to evade accountability for more than eight months by immediately flying overseas to Egypt but was eventually apprehended thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and the NYPD. I know the victim has suffered excruciatingly painful injuries as a result of this incident, and I hope he can continue to improve and recover.”
As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record, MOSSAD worked as a food cart vendor in Times Square on West 41st street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue. On March 16, 2025, at approximately 3:50 a.m., the victim approached the food cart and had a brief interaction with MOSSAD.
The victim walked away, and MOSSAD proceeded to pour gasoline from the food cart into a small water bottle. He then paced up and down the street waiting for an opportunity to attack the victim, who eventually walked by the food cart again.
The two men had another interaction and separated. MOSSAD found the victim again, used a lighter to ignite the water bottle and set the victim on fire. The victim was engulfed in flames across his entire body and ran through Times Square screaming for help. Two nearby NYPD officers were able to douse the flames and transport the victim to the hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma for several weeks. He suffered second and third-degree burns across nearly 20 percent of his body.
The defendant fled to Egypt hours after the incident and stayed there for more than eight months, before returning to New York City on November 25th, when he was arrested by the NYPD.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant D.A. Jonathan Carfagno, under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Mark Dahl and Amy Hare (Deputy Chiefs of Trial Bureau 40), Nicole Blomberg (Chief of Bureau 40), Shawn McMahon (Deputy Chief of the Trial Division) and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division).
D.A. Bragg thanked Detective Lauren Helmeset of the Midtown South Precinct Detective Squad; Detectives Blair Fauntleroy and Joseph Cohen of Manhattan South Homicide; and Police Officers Jonathan Chau and Kelly Tuechler of the 111th Precinct.
Defendant Information:
AHMAD MOSSAD
Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged:
- Attempted Murder in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
- Assault in the First Degree, a class B felony, one count
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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.