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Police: N.Y. bombings may be hate crimes

NEW YORK, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- New York City police say they're investigating four Molotov cocktail attacks in Queens as possible hate crimes.

The New York Times said police are investigating the attacks, which occurred late Sunday, as bias crimes targeting Muslims.

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The New York Daily News reported non-Muslims appeared to have been victimized as well.

The attacks ignited two fires -- one at the Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center on 90th Avenue in in Jamaica, Queens, and a major blaze at a house.

The bottle-bombings also targeted another house and a bodega in a 2-mile area between 8 p.m.-10:15 p.m., police said.

"They definitely appear to be quite similar," a police source told the News. "We're looking into them as bias crimes."

No injuries were reported.

Monty and Sonia Burnett's home on 107th Avenue was heavily damaged, leaving them homeless. The Burnetts are not Muslims, the News said.

"When I came to the front of the house, it was ablaze already," Monty Burnett said. "It started on the front window and came into the house."

The New York Times reported it took 60 firefighters about 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

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As many as 80 people were at the Islamic center on Van Wyck Expressway when someone hurled two or three Molotov cocktails at its brick facade about 9 p.m., the News said.

"We are shocked. We live in the U.S. This is our country," said Ali Rizdi, who attends the mosque and said he ran outside and started stomping on flames.

A bodega on Hillside Avenue and the home of a Hindu family were also attacked, the News said.

The bottle bombs thrown at the house burned out and caused no damage.

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