A Mexican man living in the U.S. illegally, Roman Amatitra, is facing serious charges after allegedly setting a fire in a New York City apartment that resulted in four deaths and seven injuries. There’s concern that he might be released since Homeland Security has reported that the city isn’t handing him over to immigration officials.
Amatitra, 38, from Maspeth, is accused of multiple charges, including second-degree murder and first-degree arson, for the fire he reportedly ignited in a three-story building in Flushing on March 16.
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, on the day of the incident, Amatitra was seen going in and out of the building several times. He urinated outside the apartment, made a trip to a nearby gas station where he bought a beer and took another one without paying, along with a lighter and matches.
Authorities claim that, on his final entry into the building, he set a piece of paper on fire and tossed it into a trash can. As smoke filled the street, Katz noted that he drank beer while watching people catch fire and jump from windows, labeling it an “act of mass murder.”
On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) requested that the New York City Department of Corrections keep Amatitra incarcerated. However, the department informed ICE it would not comply due to the state’s sanctuary policy.
Lauren Biss, acting assistant secretary for Homeland Security, expressed outrage over the situation, stating, “This monster set buildings on fire and watched innocent people, including a 3-year-old, be burned to death.” She criticized the city’s politicians for their actions, saying they prioritize politics over public safety.
Biss further urged Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani to reconsider releasing someone she described as a public safety threat. She called the potential release “an act of insanity” that could lead to more crime and harm to innocent individuals.
According to DHS, Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s executive order aims to protect criminal illegal immigrants, supposedly allowing them to continue committing crimes. This action came after Governor Kathy Hochul proposed legislation that limits local police cooperation with ICE.
DHS noted alarming statistics: from January 20 to December 1, nearly 7,000 illegal immigrants were released in New York without being handed over to ICE, and they were charged with serious crimes, including 29 murders and over 2,500 assaults. Furthermore, more than 7,100 undocumented immigrants were in custody during the same period for various offenses.
While officials confirmed Amatitra’s illegal status, details regarding when and how he entered the U.S. remain unclear.
