A Whitestone man has been charged with setting fire to a beloved neighborhood eatery.

Prosecutors allege Michael Trantel broke into the Lollipop Diner at approximately 1 a.m. on November 2, stole cigarettes and a lighter, and set a bag of Halloween Candy on fire after being refused a cigarette by a security guard.

The diner, located at 153-31 Cross Island Parkway, was closed for business at the time of the fire and suffered extensive smoke, flame, and water damage.

Trantel, 42, of 159th Street in Whitestone, approached a security guard and asked for a cigarette, but the guard refused. Upset, he kicked in a window, grabbed the cigarettes and lighter, and started the blaze.

“The fire could have easily caused serious injuries or death to the firefighters charged with fighting the blaze or any people who may have been outside or around the building,” said District Attorney Richard Brown.

Trantel is charged with third and fourth-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree burglary, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, and petit larceny.

If convicted, Trantel faces up to 15 years in prison.