NYPD searching for man caught on video sparking fire outside Bronx apartment building
NORWOOD, The Bronx (WABC) -- The NYPD and FDNY are looking for a man caught on video starting a fire by pouring gasoline and lighting a match along a sidewalk in the Bronx overnight.
"I saw the black spot," said building owner Katrina Curanaj. "I rewound the camera. I saw flames. I panicked. My heart came out of my chest. I was like, 'what's going on?'"
The disturbing surveillance video shows a random man, methodically and diligently, apparently trying to set a building on fire.
"If it's not going to be my building, what building is he going to target next?" Curanaj said.
Curanaj has never seen him before and doesn't have any idea why anyone would want to burn down her family-owned six-story apartment building.
"This guy is out to, I guess, burn buildings," Curanaj said. "That's his M.O. He's going to burn buildings."
It all happened around 2:30 am on Tuesday, on Rochambeau Avenue in the Norwood section of the Bronx.
First, surveillance video shows the suspect casually approaching the building pushing a cart.
Curanaj said the suspect then placed a red bag next to the building.
After that, the suspect is seen walking backwards, dumping what appears to be a gasoline onto the sidewalk. He bends over, and ignites the fire. The sidewalk went up in flames so fast that the suspect had to jump backwards to avoid getting burned.
What happened next was even more unbelievable. Two people jump out of a passing car, extinguish the flames and drive off -- never calling 911.
"I didn't get no phone calls because all my tenants were sleeping," Curanaj said. "All my tenants were sleeping. I don't know who the two fellows were outside checking off the fire."
What appears to be a bottle of regular rubbing alcohol survived the fire. It was in the red bag.
"I'm not going to sleep tonight because how about if I walk out my building or one of my tenants walk out the building and this guy comes back?" Curanaj said. "Do you remember the incident of the girl getting burned on the train by somebody throwing gasoline on her and she burned? I don't want that to happen to one of my tenants or me."
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