A man in New York City faces charges following a tragic house fire that claimed the lives of four individuals, including a three-year-old child, last month. Prosecutors revealed that the man allegedly set fire to a residential building out of anger over losing his job.
Residents were forced to flee the burning home in Queens, New York City, as the fire engulfed the property on a Monday afternoon. Tragically, the three-year-old boy was found deceased inside the building, along with three adults, believed to include his parents.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz described the incident as one of the most heinous crimes in the borough’s recent history, noting that the selection of the building was arbitrary.
The accused, Roman Amatitla, reportedly entered and exited the building multiple times on March 16. After purchasing matches and stealing beer from a nearby gas station, he allegedly ignited a piece of paper and placed it on a pile of garbage in the stairwell. Subsequently, he observed the flames spread while consuming a beer outside.
Despite these allegations, Amatitla’s legal representative did not provide a comment on the matter. The fire claimed the lives of Sihan Yang, a 3-year-old, Chengri Cui aged 49, Shin Chie aged 61, and Hong Zhao aged 64, who leaped from a window to escape the blaze.
Several individuals sustained injuries, some severe, while attempting to escape the building. Additionally, two firefighters were injured when a staircase collapsed during the incident.
In statements to investigators, Amatitla admitted that he knew the building was occupied and that people would be harmed. However, he claimed that he needed to release his anger after losing his job, emphasizing that his employment situation was unrelated to the building or its occupants.
Amatitla, also a resident of Queens, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, arson, and other offenses. If convicted, he could face a sentence of 25 years to life.
