In a shocking incident captured on video, an explosion erupted in a Bronx hallway after a homeless man, described as a career criminal, allegedly stole a stove from his estranged partner’s apartment. According to court documents, he intended to sell it for a small amount of crack cocaine.
The footage, released to the public on Thursday, shows a firefighter and a tall man dressed in white and black standing in a hallway on Vivona Street during the early hours of Saturday morning when a sudden explosion occurs nearby.
As the scene unfolds, thick smoke fills the hallway, briefly obscuring the view before it clears to reveal debris scattered around.
Samuel Calderon, 55, was arrested on Wednesday due to his involvement in the explosion that led to the collapse of a ceiling on the 16th floor, resulting in the death of 60-year-old Ronald McAllister, as stated in a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors allege that Calderon broke into the woman’s 13th-floor apartment, violating a protective order, and removed a stove, triggering a gas leak that caused the explosion on the 17th floor.
In addition, authorities reported that a 37-year-old man was critically injured and five others were in stable condition after the four-alarm fire broke out.
Calderon reportedly fled the scene, remaining unnoticed for three days until a keen police officer recognized him while he was collecting mail in the same building.
He was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, robbery, petty larceny, and contempt of court, according to prosecutors.
In his statement to investigators, Calderon confessed to planning to steal the stove from his partner’s apartment to sell it for drugs. He remarked that he noticed a gas smell and heard a hissing sound, prompting him to wrap a blanket around the hole with tape before leaving.
Calderon has an extensive criminal record, with more than 25 arrests dating back to 1987. His most recent arrest was on November 3 for allegedly violating the protective order related to his partner.
He mentioned to investigators, “I remember the judge telling me to stay away from her house.”
The last felony charge prior to this incident was for robbery in March 2022, following another robbery arrest in Brooklyn in 2008.
During a court appearance on Thursday, he was ordered to be held without bail in connection with the fire-related death.
Over 230 first responders attended the fire, which impacted 75 apartments, all in notably cold temperatures that had dropped to the low teens in New York City.
FDNY Commissioner Lilian Bonsignore commented on the challenging conditions during the incident, praising the fire department personnel and first responders for their remarkable efforts in extinguishing the fires.
