(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Paul Lucia, 60, of Islip Terrace, was indicted for Arson in the Second Degree and other related charges, for setting fire to the rear of Riley Fibbers Bar and Restaurant in East Islip.
“Today, we announce the indictment of an individual charged with arson for allegedly setting fire to a local bar after being asked to leave the premises,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This act put lives at risk and caused significant damage to the establishment. We remain committed to pursuing justice and ensuring that such dangerous behavior is fully addressed under the law.”
According to the investigation, in the early evening hours of November 20, 2025, Lucia was a patron at Riley Fibbers Bar and Restaurant when he was allegedly asked to leave by staff. He left the premises in a white Jeep Patriot and allegedly returned at approximately 7:30 p.m. in the same Jeep with a gas can and a lighter. Video surveillance shows Lucia exit the Jeep and allegedly dump liquid from the gas can near the rear entrance of the restaurant, which was open and occupied by patrons and employees at the time. Shortly thereafter, flames erupted and Lucia is observed on video allegedly walking back to the Jeep, throwing the gas can over a fence onto an adjacent property, and driving away.
Riley Fibbers Bar and Restaurant suffered damage to an exterior awning and the kitchen. A witness provided a license plate number for the Jeep that Lucia was allegedly driving. Detectives learned that the plates were allegedly reported stolen one week earlier.
During their investigation, Suffolk County Arson Squad Detectives recovered a gas can cap from a flowerpot outside the bar, and a gas can from an adjacent property where Lucia was seen allegedly throwing the gas can over the fence. A certified ignitable detection canine from the Suffolk County Fire Marshal’s Office was deployed at the scene and indicated the presence of ignitables in several locations.
The following day, the Suffolk County Police located Lucia and the white Jeep on Sunrise Highway and placed him under arrest. Law enforcement recovered a lighter in the vehicle.
On December 9, 2025, Lucia was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz, for the following charges:
• One count of Arson in the Second Degree, a Class B violent felony;
• One count of Arson in the Third Degree, a Class C felony; and
• Two counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, Class A misdemeanors.
Justice Horowitz ordered Lucia held on $100,000 cash, $250,000 bond, or $750,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Lucia is due back in court on January 14, 2026, and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count. He is being represented by Michael Elbert, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sean Lorthioir of the Major Crime Bureau’s Arson Unit. Members of the Arson Unit received specialized training in the investigation and prosecution of arson cases from certified Fire Investigators at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. The investigation was conducted by Detectives John Boreshesky and Michael Langella of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Arson Squad.