FDNY Responds to Arson Fire in New York City

A man from New York City has been charged with multiple counts of murder after allegedly igniting a fire in an apartment building that claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured.

Roman Theron Ammatitla, 38, from Maspeth, faces eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson related to the incident on March 16, where he reportedly targeted a randomly chosen three-story building in Flushing.

According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, on the day of the fire, Ammatitla was seen entering and exiting the building multiple times. He allegedly urinated outside the apartment, visited a nearby gas station to purchase a beer, stole another one, and took a lighter without paying, in addition to grabbing a box of matches.

Authorities claim he later returned to the building, starting the fire by igniting a piece of paper and discarding it in a trash can located near the stairs. As smoke billowed through the streets, Katz noted that Ammatitla remained nearby, drinking beer while watching people jump from windows in a scene described by some as an “act of mass murder.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) requested that the New York City Department of Corrections (NYCDOC) hold Ammatitla in custody and not release him. However, NYCDOC stated it would not comply, citing New York’s sanctuary policy.

Lauren Biss, an acting assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), criticized the city’s decision, alleging that Ammatitla “set buildings on fire and watched innocent people, including a child, be burned to death.” She expressed concern that New York City’s sanctuary policies were prioritizing politics over public safety.

DHS pointed out that Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s executive order protects undocumented immigrants, allowing individuals like Ammatitla to be released back into the community.

Furthermore, DHS has reported that between January 20 and December 1, New York released a significant number of undocumented immigrants charged with various crimes, including murder, assault, robbery, and drug offenses.

While officials have confirmed that Ammatitla is in fact an illegal immigrant, details about how or when he entered the United States remain unclear.