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Arson Suspected in Queens Fire That Killed Three, Including a 6-Year-Old Girl Suspect in Fatal Queens Fire Fought With Homeowner Who Took Him In
(about 2 hours later)
A fire that killed three people in Queens on Wednesday appeared to have been intentionally set, police and fire officials said Thursday. A fire that killed three people in Queens on Wednesday appeared to have been intentionally set by a man that was staying at the apartment and had fought with the home’s owner, police and fire officials said Thursday.
The blaze killed two men and a 6-year-old girl when it swept through the top floor of a two-story home in Elmhurst on Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said. A woman and a baby boy were also critically injured. The blaze killed two men, including the suspect, and a 6-year-old girl when it swept through the top floor of a two-story home in East Elmhurst on Wednesday afternoon, police officials said. A woman and a baby boy were also critically injured.
A gasoline can was found at the scene, and the fire was deemed suspicious, the police said. Investigators think the 23-year-old man, identified by officials familiar with the investigation as David Abreu Nuñez, started the fire using some kind of accelerant before he died in the blaze, the police said.
Fire marshals were still investigating the circumstances as of Thursday morning, a Fire Department spokesman said. The homeowner’s son identified the two others killed as Ema Dominguez, 6, and her grandfather, Claudio Rodriguez, 76, and the woman injured in the fire as Ema’s mother, Elizabeth Rodriguez, 35.
The victims of the fire have not yet been identified, but an official familiar with the investigation confirmed multiple reports that a man named David Abreu Nuñez, 24, was at the scene. The fire had been deemed suspicious and fire marshals were still investigating its cause as of Thursday morning, a Fire Department spokesman said.
The official did not confirm whether Mr. Nuñez was suspected of starting the fire. Fire officials said they had no knowledge of the relationship between the people caught in the blaze. The department said the fire was incendiary, with an “ignitable liquid” used as an accelerant. It was still testing to see what type of liquid was involved, but officials familiar with the investigation said a gasoline can was found on the premises.
Mr. Nuñez, a law enforcement official familiar said, had been staying at the home, at 23-49 93rd Street, since Monday. The day before, he had been arrested in the Bronx for filing a false police report, court records show. The official said that Mr. Nuñez had falsely claimed to have been sexually assaulted.
Mr. Nuñez told the home’s owner, Rafelina Moreno, that he was down on his luck after being assaulted and robbed, the official added, and she let Mr. Nuñez stay at her home.
Ms. Moreno told investigators on Wednesday that Ms. Moreno had allowed Mr. Nuñez to stay there temporarily, but they had recently had some type of dispute, a police spokesman said.
“They had a falling out,” a police spokesman said Wednesday. “He called her today and made some statements indicating this was intentional.”
The police did not say what the nature of the dispute was or how long it had lasted.
The police said that Mr. Rodriguez was a tenant in the home. His daughter, Ms. Rodriguez, was visiting from the Dominican Republic with her children. She was expected to survive, but her 10-month-old son was in extremely critical condition, the police said.
“It’s a sad afternoon here in East Elmhurst,” Daniel A. Nigro, the city’s fire commissioner, said on Wednesday, standing in front of the burned out building.“It’s a sad afternoon here in East Elmhurst,” Daniel A. Nigro, the city’s fire commissioner, said on Wednesday, standing in front of the burned out building.
The Fire Department said it received a call at 4:09 p.m. that a fire was raging at a two-floor home at 23-49 93rd Street in Queens. The call came from a person living on the first floor of the building, who said a smoke alarm was going off upstairs. The Fire Department said it received a call at 4:09 p.m. that a fire was raging at the home. The call came from a person living on the first floor of the building, who said a smoke alarm was going off upstairs.
Firefighters arrived four minutes later and carried the two men and young girl from the still-burning home, but were unable to save them, according to fire officials. The woman and a 1-year-old boy had already gotten out, but were badly injured. Firefighters arrived four minutes later and carried the two men and the girl from the still-burning home but were unable to save them, according to fire officials. The woman and boy had already gotten out, but were badly injured.
One victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The four others were transported to the Elmhurst Hospital Center and the NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital, where two later died. The woman and the baby boy were in extremely critical condition, officials said on Wednesday. One victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The four others were transported to the Elmhurst Hospital Center and the NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital, where two later died.
The blaze was so intense and the outside temperatures so high that more than 100 firefighters from 25 units were required to put it out, fire officials said.The blaze was so intense and the outside temperatures so high that more than 100 firefighters from 25 units were required to put it out, fire officials said.
“A hot humid day like this, you want to keep the firefighters fresh and rotate them in on a quicker turnaround as they operate,” Jim Long, a department spokesman, said.“A hot humid day like this, you want to keep the firefighters fresh and rotate them in on a quicker turnaround as they operate,” Jim Long, a department spokesman, said.
On Wednesday evening, fire marshals dug through the second-floor rubble as neighbors stood behind a caution tape and watched.On Wednesday evening, fire marshals dug through the second-floor rubble as neighbors stood behind a caution tape and watched.
Mr. Nigro said the circumstances of the fire were puzzling.Mr. Nigro said the circumstances of the fire were puzzling.
“It’s quite unusual at that time in the afternoon to have a fire trap five occupants in a private dwelling,” Mr. Nigro said. “Without an obvious accidental cause, the department treats it as a suspicious fire.”“It’s quite unusual at that time in the afternoon to have a fire trap five occupants in a private dwelling,” Mr. Nigro said. “Without an obvious accidental cause, the department treats it as a suspicious fire.”
The ravaged interior of the home could be seen from the street, whose traffic was cut off by a number of fire trucks.The ravaged interior of the home could be seen from the street, whose traffic was cut off by a number of fire trucks.
Willie C. Martin Jr., 82, who has lived on the street since 1985, said the firefighters were unable to push through the front door of the house and instead broke open the second-floor window with a ladder. “That’s when I saw the flames,” he said.Willie C. Martin Jr., 82, who has lived on the street since 1985, said the firefighters were unable to push through the front door of the house and instead broke open the second-floor window with a ladder. “That’s when I saw the flames,” he said.
Firefighters then pulled out two men, and for a short time tried to revive them with CPR on the front lawn. Mr. Martin said he did not see the 6-year-old girl. “It all seemed like a blur,” he said.Firefighters then pulled out two men, and for a short time tried to revive them with CPR on the front lawn. Mr. Martin said he did not see the 6-year-old girl. “It all seemed like a blur,” he said.
Mr. Martin, a retired social worker, said that he knew occupants of the apartment informally, and believed they belonged to one family.Mr. Martin, a retired social worker, said that he knew occupants of the apartment informally, and believed they belonged to one family.
“Living in a city, we all have that innate terror inside of us that we don’t know until it happens,” said Mr. Martin, as he sat on his stoop, eyeing the fire marshals entering and leaving the home. “This is when that comes to the forefront.”“Living in a city, we all have that innate terror inside of us that we don’t know until it happens,” said Mr. Martin, as he sat on his stoop, eyeing the fire marshals entering and leaving the home. “This is when that comes to the forefront.”
Andrea Salcedo, Ashley Southall and Ali Watkins contributed reporting.