California man sprays WD-40 on tea shop customers and sets them alight with blowtorch

A California man armed with an ax and ‘rambling about his daughter’ sprayed WD-40 on tea shop customers and set them alight with a blowtorch before vigilantes wrestled him to the ground.

Brandon McGlone, 46, of Berkeley, walked into the Feng Cha Teahouse Monday night and tried to set several people on fire, police said. 

This came moments after he allegedly attacked diners outside a nearby pizzeria, knocking their food off the table, spraying them with WD-40 and telling them he was going to light them on fire.  

Shocking footage captured the surprise attack at the tea shop as well as the ensuing struggle outside as customers tried to detain the suspect until cops arrived, before backing off when he pulled out an ax. 

McGlone was arrested outside the tea shop and is now facing felony charges over the attacks.

Berkeley police officers responded to reports at around 9:35 p.m. Monday that a man, later identified as McGlone, had tried to set a number of people on fire across two eateries in the area. 

Berkeley Police Spokesman Byron White said McGlone first approached two men dining outside Artichoke Basille’s Pizza at 2590 Durant Avenue. 

McGlone allegedly knocked their food off the table, announced he was going to light them on fire and sprayed them with the highly flammable substance.

The two men ran away from the suspect before he could set them alight.  

McGlone then allegedly turned his attentions to Feng Cha Teahouse at 2528 Durant Avenue where he sprayed two other men with the liquid and lit them on fire using a blowtorch.

Shocking surveillance footage shows the suspect stepping through the doors to the tea shop and setting the men’s hair alight.

One witness told CBS Local McGlone gave an ‘evil chuckle’ right before the ‘sneak attack’.  

The incident was over in seconds and the suspect exited the establishment. 

The shocked customers extinguished the flames quickly and several people ran out the tea shop after the assailant.

Video footage taken outside shows a number of brave customers struggling to detain McGlone before he pulls out an ax, causing them to back away.  

Noel Nubla, who witnessed the attacks and tried to subdue the assailant, told CBS Local McGlone also pulled out a knife.

‘Once we got outside we were kind of just bumping fists. He got me in the face a couple of times, I got him back and he started bleeding,’ he said.

‘And then I took him down to the ground. I saw him pull out a knife – I pulled him down.

‘He got to the floor, his hand was there. I stepped on it, stepped on his wrist pulled him up disarmed him from the knife.’ 

Witnesses also said McGlone was yelling something about his daughter during the attack. 

Police said officers then arrived on the scene and talked McGlone into dropping the weapon.

He was arrested and taken into custody. 

White said a search of McGlone uncovered knives including a machete, matches, lighters and several ‘Molotov cocktails’.  

Police later learned McGlone had allegedly set a trashcan on fire outside Kathmandu Market & Deli around 20 minutes before his first attack on the diners.  

McGlone was charged Wednesday with 10 felonies including four counts of assault with caustic chemicals, two counts of criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, arson, possession of a destructive device and other allegations.

He was denied bail and is being held in Santa Rita Jail. 

The victims had singed hair but were otherwise unharmed in the attacks. 

Court records reveal McGlone was already wanted in connection with a domestic violence investigation from September 1, reported Berkeleyside.com.