Brantford man charged with arson after Italian flag burned at restaurant

Brantford residents are expressing shock and betrayal after a local act of generosity was met with violence.

But they say the incident won’t stop them from spreading kindness. 

At Brantford’s Mercasa Little Italy Eatery, they’re still shaken up by what happened.

“This despicable act. We honestly don’t know what would lead someone to do something like that,” said Tom Mercante, the restaurant owner.

This restaurant is part of Brantford’s Pass the Puck Forward program, where one person can buy a dollar puck or more and leave it for someone else less fortunate to use it to pay if they need free food.

On Wednesday, two men got the free food and paid back the generosity with violence.

“I came back out here and it was like chaos, there was a flag on fire. I saw these guys running across the parking lot,” said Head Chef Lenny Keveryga.

One of the men set fire to an Italian flag hanging inside by the door and the staff had to stomp out the fire.

“Chaos started because the thing was up in flames,” said Mercante.

“The girls, the two servers that were at the front line here, were in tears  … and now their concern is how do we prevent something like this from happening again? What do we do in instances like this? How do we know we’re safe?”

READ MORE: One adult dead, two injured in fire in Toronto’s Little Italy

Detectives arrested two suspects, one being a 34-year-old Brantford man. He has been charged with arson and mischief.

“I want to bring kindness back to Brantford and our community,” said Steve Karalis, the organizer of the Pass the Puck program.

Karalis and the local chamber of commerce have determined the program will keep going.

“We just need to keep staying positive and optimistic and we’re going to outshine those few bad apples that tried to take advantage or do something. Again, who who try to burn a flag?” Karalis said.

“I think the idea that it’s a piece of kindness, a moment of positivity in one’s day, that’s so much more overwhelmingly positive than perhaps some negative incidents that may occur,” said CEO David Prang, of the Brantford-Brant Chamber of Commerce.

Karalis and Prang bought the restaurant a brand new flag.

“We’re going to continue to do the right thing and continue this initiative.  I don’t want something like this to deter us from doing the right thing,” Mercante said.

READ MORE: One man dead in shooting near Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood