A man accused of sparking a deadly house fire in Queens last month—one that claimed the lives of four people, including a toddler—has now been hit with multiple serious charges.
The FDNY responded to a 4-alarm fire at 44-49 College Point Boulevard on March 16th.
According to reports, Fire crews saw three people jump from an upper floor as flames spread through the building. During the response, a collapsed staircase briefly trapped several firefighters, who were later rescued. FDNY said the fire claimed the lives of four people, including 3-year-old Sihan Yang and 50-year-old Chengri Cui. The other victims, a 61-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man, have not yet been identified. Four others were injured in the blaze.
Authorities say 38-year-old Roman Amatitla was taken into custody on April 8 at his Elmhurst residence by the NYPD Warrant Squad. Investigators allege that he intentionally set a fast-moving fire on March 16 in the vestibule of a building on Avery Avenue in Flushing. The property had reportedly been flagged for several safety violations, including illegal apartment conversions and hazardous clutter.
According to reports, Amatitla had no known ties to the building or its residents.
He is now facing a wide range of charges, including eight counts of murder, 12 counts of assault, eight counts of arson, and four counts of petit larceny, the latter tied to an alleged theft from a store.
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