Queens Man Charged With Random Arson That Killed Four, Including 3-Year-Old
Queens prosecutors say 38-year-old Roman Amatitla of Maspeth has been arrested and arraigned on eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson for allegedly setting a March 16, 2026 fire in a three-story apartment building on Avery Avenue in Flushing that killed four people, including 3-year-old Sihan Yang, and injured seven others. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz called the blaze an 'act of mass murder,' saying investigators have found no connection between Amatitla and the building or its residents and allege he chose the site at random. According to the complaint, Amatitla was seen repeatedly entering the building, purchasing and stealing beers and matches from a nearby gas station, then allegedly igniting paper and tossing it onto trash near a stairwell before remaining outside to watch as smoke poured from the structure. Assistant DA Gabriel Reale told the court that the defendant allegedly drank a beer while watching residents jump from windows, with one victim, 64-year-old Hong Zhao, later dying from injuries sustained in a fall, while two FDNY members were hurt when a staircase collapsed beneath them during rescue efforts. NYPD records list Amatitla as being from Mexico, but officials have not confirmed his immigration status; DHS and ICE did not respond to Fox’s inquiries, and the judge ordered him held without bail pending an April 13 court date, as the case fuels renewed online anger over random violence and building safety in New York City.
📌 Key Facts
- Defendant Roman Amatitla, 38, is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson for a March 16, 2026 apartment fire in Flushing, Queens.
- Four people were killed, including 3-year-old Sihan Yang; at least seven others were injured, among them an FDNY lieutenant and a firefighter hurt when a staircase collapsed.
- Prosecutors allege Amatitla had no connection to the building, bought and stole beer and matches from a nearby gas station, lit paper near a stairwell, and then stayed to watch residents jump from windows while drinking a beer.
- Queens DA Melinda Katz described the incident as an 'act of mass murder,' and the defendant has been remanded pending an April 13 court appearance.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2024, Black individuals accounted for 37.7% of civilian fire fatalities in New York City (29 out of 77), despite comprising about 24% of the city's population, while Asian individuals accounted for 6.5% (5 out of 77), compared to about 14% of the population.
Bureau of Fire Investigation 2024 Annual Report — New York City Fire Department (FDNY)
Nationally in 2020, African Americans had a fire death rate of 16.5 per million population, compared to the national average of 11.4, and Asian/Pacific Islanders had a rate of 3.0 per million.
Fire Risk in 2020 — U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)
Flushing, Queens, has a demographic composition of approximately 60% Asian, 18% Hispanic, 16% White, and 3% African American residents.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished national origin quotas, leading to increased Asian immigration to the United States, including to areas like Flushing, Queens, where many Chinese immigrants from Taiwan arrived post-1965.
Chinese in Chinatown and Flushing — Queens College - CUNY
Victims of severe New York City blazes are most often immigrants, and the worst fires occur in neighborhoods with higher proportions of Black and Latinx residents.
firehouse distribution disparities in New York City — Social Problems (Oxford Academic)
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