A man from Queens was taken into custody on Tuesday amid allegations that he entered an unrelated apartment last month and sparked a devastating fire that claimed the lives of four individuals, including a 3-year-old girl.
Roman Ammatitla, 38, was apprehended at his home in Queens by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Authorities suggest the fire he allegedly started was a random act.
Officials indicated that Ammatitla did not have a prior criminal record and appeared unfamiliar with any residents of the Flushing apartment complex, where the fire occurred on March 16. The tragedy resulted in four fatalities and five injuries.
It is believed that the fire began when an object, possibly a fire extinguisher, ignited wood chips in the building, combined with an accelerant, which led to a rapidly spreading blaze.
Firefighters from 74 FDNY units took over two hours to bring the fire under control.
Earlier that day, Ammatitla was captured on surveillance stealing beer cans from a store, but it remains unclear whether that happened prior to or after the arson incident.
Investigators are still trying to find out if he stayed to witness the fire’s destruction or left the scene entirely.
No clear motive has yet been established by the police.
The fire devastated the three-story apartment building during daylight hours.
A terrified resident shared with the Post that he was “praying fervently that everyone would make it out safely,” particularly as he saw emergency workers carry out injured and unconscious victims.
“When you see a fire this severe, you know you’re witnessing death,” he remarked.
The victims included 3-year-old Sihan Yang and 50-year-old Chenri Cui. The other two victims, aged 61 and 63, have yet to be named pending family notifications.
Amatitla faces serious charges, including eight counts of murder, twelve for assault, eight for arson, and four for petty theft.
The building endured “extreme damage” from the blaze, leaving it barely standing, and had accumulated nearly 50 violations over the past three decades.
At the time of the fire, 16 violations remained unresolved. Many of these were associated with illegal apartment conversions and overcrowding, as per records from the Department of Buildings. A 2020 inspection revealed that a two-family home had illegally been altered to create five single-occupancy units and had nine extra beds.
