Man accused in deadly Queens fire charged with 1st degree murder; faces life without parole
FLUSHING, Queens (WABC) -- Charges have been upgraded against the 38-year-old man accused of setting the fire in Queens that claimed the lives of four people, including a 3-year-old girl.
Roman Amatitla, 38, was arraigned Tuesday on a 37-count grand jury indictment now charging him with both first and second degree murder, arson and assault.
It is a rare charge in New York state that increases the penalty to life in prison without possibility of parole if convicted.
Prosecutors said in court that it now appears Amatitla was targeting the female victim, who lost her life in the blaze.
Amatitla apparently exchanged words with her before allegedly following her to the building and setting it on fire
Last month, Amatitla was arraigned and held without bail after prosecutors say he brazenly set the fire.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz called it "an act of mass murder."
The charges against him include: Four counts of murder in the first degree; 12 counts of murder in the second degree; five counts of arson in the first degree; two counts of assault in the first degree; 10 counts of arson in the second degree; three counts of assault in the second degree; and petit larceny.
Responding firefighters discovered a 3-year-old girl, Sihan Yang, on a third-floor bed and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 49-year-old man, Chengri Cui, and a 61-year-old woman, Chie Shin Ming, were also both discovered in the building and pronounced dead at the scene. All three succumbed to smoke inhalation.
Hong Zhao, a 64-year-old man, leaped from a building window and sustained multiple broken bones and brain trauma. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a short time later.
The suspect told investigators he started the fire "as a way to get his rage out over being fired," according to the criminal complaint. However, District Attorney Melinda Katz said their investigation found a different motive.
Katz said that at 11:43 a.m. on March 16, Amatitla followed a woman into the ground floor of the three-story building and left a minute later. He remained nearby for another 15 minutes and then allegedly urinated in front of the location.
The DA said that Amatitla entered and exited the premises two more times in the following seven minutes.
The suspect is then accused of crossing the street to a gas station, buying a beer, stealing another beer, and asking the clerk for a lighter.
When the clerk informed Amatitla that lighters were not free, the defendant took a pack of matches.
DA Katz said that Amatitla then entered the building at approximately 12:16 p.m., lit a piece of paper on fire and placed it on top of garbage at the base of the only stairwell exit from the upper floors.
Shortly afterward, smoke began to fill the street. Katz said that Amatitla stayed nearby and drank beer as he watched the fire consume the building.
The defense has shifted the blame from Amatitla to the building's landlord and New York City.
"This was a fire attack well before my client arrived at the scene, based on our investigation, there was at least 30 open complaints against this building, 55 complaints registered with the Department 13 or seven reporting complaints registered with the Department of Buildings," his defense attorney said.
The defense also pointed to Amatitla's clean record and asked the judge for bail with his family, including his wife and child, in court to show their support.
The judge offered no bail. Amatitla is due back in court on July 14.
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