Charges Filed Against Suspected Illegal Immigrant for Arson and Murder

A man believed to be an undocumented immigrant from Mexico has been charged with murder and arson following a devastating fire in a New York City apartment that resulted in four fatalities.

Roman Ammatitla, aged 38, faces numerous serious charges, including eight counts of second-degree murder, first-degree arson, and several counts of assault and theft, according to a press release from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

The charges were brought against Ammatitla on March 16 in Flushing, where he is alleged to have entered a three-story building’s first floor. Reports indicate he lingered near the property for several minutes and even urinated nearby before entering and exiting the building multiple times. He later visited a gas station, where he reportedly purchased one beer, stole another, and asked for a lighter—ultimately opting for a box of matches instead.

On his fourth entrance to the apartment building, Ammatitla allegedly ignited a piece of paper and set it on top of trash located near the stairwell.

“This was an act of mass murder,” Katz remarked in her statement. “As alleged, Roman Ammatitla intentionally set fire to an occupied building, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including a three-year-old girl. Disturbingly, he selected this building at random, without any prior knowledge of the property or its residents.”

Among the deceased were 3-year-old Sihan Yang, 49-year-old Chenri Cui, 61-year-old Shin Chie Ming, and 64-year-old Hong Zhao, all of whom perished due to the fire.

On Thursday, prosecutors disclosed that Ammatitla reportedly chose the apartment following the loss of his food processing job and that he started the fire while witnessing people attempting to escape through windows. Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale noted, “He said he saw individuals jumping from various windows, some surviving and one deceased.”

A report indicated that a grassroots organization, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, had previously stated that nearly 1,411 individuals had been killed by illegal immigrants, a figure that one representative described as “very conservative,” estimating the true number to be “at least” 20,000.