Public Safety and Firefighting

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.