A body found amidst the charred debris of a Massapequa Park home set ablaze on the morning of Sept. 8 is believed by police to be the remains of the arsonist himself, a 79-year-old Lindenhurst man angered that his son and daughter-in-law would not allow him to see his grandchildren.

The unusual incident began early on the morning of Sept. 8 with an emergency phone call made to the Nassau County Police Department by a 16-year-old girl residing at the Massapequa Park home. According to Detective Lieutenant Kevin Smith, she stated that she and her 10-year-old sister were hiding in the bedroom closet because they heard loud arguing followed by what was believed to be gunfire. The 911 operator kept the children on the phone for at least 20 minutes, attempting to calm the girls down while the police positioned themselves around the home.

Upon smelling smoke, the girls requested permission to leave the house. Emergency Service Police Officers Richard Lester and Christopher Cooper rushed the back door of the home, which had been shattered by gunfire, provided cover and escorted the girls to safety.

During the preliminary investigation police say it was determined that the girls' grandfather arrived at the house in a late model Oldsmobile and carried a high-powered rifle into the residence. According to police accounts, after a brief argument with his son, the girls' father, shots were fired and the father escaped out the front door. Shortly thereafter, it is believed that the grandfather set the house on fire.

One hundred and twenty firemen responded to the scene and had to standby until it was determined that it was safe for them to put out the fire. As a result, the home became fully engulfed in flames and was completely destroyed.

A search of the grandfather's car disclosed five one-gallon cans of what is believed to be gasoline wrapped separately in plastic bags. The Arson/Bomb Squad responded to the scene where a robot was used to remove and secure the containers. The vehicle has since been impounded.

After the house collapsed onto itself due to the fire, emergency personnel searched the premises and were unable to locate the grandfather. The search was called off due to hazardous conditions, but continued the next day. At approximately 2:30 P.M. Sept. 9, a body believed to be that of the Lindenhurst man was located in the debris and sent to the Nassau County morgue for identification and to determine the cause of death.

There were no other reported injuries as a result of this incident. The girls and their father were transported to the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow Sept. 8 for precautionary medical evaluation.