Child among 4 dead as accused arsonist allegedly drank beer during chaos

A New York City antheral is facing execution charges aft allegedly randomly mounting a occurrence successful a Queens flat gathering that killed 4 radical — including a 3-year-old miss — and injured 7 others, authorities announced.

Roman Amatitla, 38, of Maspeth, was arrested Wednesday and arraigned connected aggregate charges, including 8 counts of second-degree execution and first-degree arson, for the March 16 blaze astatine a three-story gathering successful Flushing. 

He faces up to 25 years to beingness successful situation if convicted.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz called the incidental an "act of wide murder," noting Amatitla's chilling deficiency of motive.

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Roman Amatitla was seen being transported successful handcuffs. (WNYW)

"Shockingly, the suspect had nary known transportation to the gathering oregon immoderate of its occupants and selected the gathering astatine random," Katz wrote successful a statement.

According to prosecutors, Amatitla was seen entering and exiting the Avery Avenue gathering aggregate times precocious that morning, astatine 1 constituent urinating successful beforehand of the apartments. 

He past went to a adjacent state station, wherever helium bought a beer, stole a 2nd one, and took a battalion of matches aft refusing to wage for a lighter, authorities allege.

FDNY firefighters were seen battling the New York City blaze connected March, 16, 2026. (Peter Gerber)

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He past entered the flat gathering for a 4th and last time, authorities said, allegedly lighting a portion of insubstantial connected occurrence and tossing it onto trash adjacent a stairwell. 

As fume engulfed the street, helium stayed successful the contiguous country to ticker the gathering burn.

During a tribunal proceeding connected Thursday, Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale said Amatitla "watched arsenic radical jumped from assorted windows, immoderate of them living, 1 of them dying" portion sipping connected a beer, according to a study from the New York Post.

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Three of the radical killed successful the blaze, identified arsenic Sihan Yang, 3, Chengri Cui, 49, and Shin Chie Ming, 61, were recovered successful the gathering and pronounced dormant astatine the country from fume inhalation. 

A 4th victim, Hong Zhao, 64, died astatine a section infirmary aft suffering aggregate breached bones and encephalon trauma erstwhile helium leaped from a model to flight the flames.

Among those injured were a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lieutenant and a firefighter who plunged into the basement erstwhile a staircase collapsed during rescue operations, resulting successful thermal burns and fume inhalation.

A ample effect was seen adjacent the March 16, 2026 occurrence successful New York City. (Peter Gerber)

Four different occupants were injured jumping from the gathering to fly the fire, portion a 5th was rescued from a second-story model by firefighters.

Prosecutors said Amatitla "had to get his rage retired connected idiosyncratic oregon something," though nary authoritative motive has been released.

New York City Police Department records enactment helium is from Mexico, though his migration presumption has not been confirmed.

Smoke was seen coming done the windows of the gathering arsenic FDNY firefighters battled the blaze connected March, 16, 2026. (Peter Gerber)

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not instantly respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Amatitla was remanded into custody by Criminal Court Judge Thomas Wright-Fernandez and is scheduled to instrumentality to tribunal connected April 13.