Current:Home > StocksLandlord upset over unpaid rent accused of setting apartment on fire while tenants were inside -WealthMap Solutions
Landlord upset over unpaid rent accused of setting apartment on fire while tenants were inside
View
Date:2025-04-19 05:08:52
A Brooklyn landlord was arrested on Friday, a month after he was accused of setting a building on fire with residents inside over unpaid rent, said the Fire Department of New York.
Rafiqul Islam was arrested on Nov. 3 for setting an interior staircase on fire at an apartment in South Brooklyn after getting angry at his second-floor tenants for not paying the rent and refusing to move out, said the FDNY in a news release.
"Two adults and six children were home at the time of the fire and escaped," said the FDNY. "Interviews with the fire victims revealed Mr. Islam had been threatening to cut off their gas and electric, and ultimately threatened to burn the house down if he wasn’t paid his rent."
'This is happening everyday':NYC driver charged with hate crime in death of Sikh man
Watch:Body cam video shows girl rescued from compartment hidden in Arkansas home's closet
Investigation
Authorities said that video footage from the day captured a "masked and hooded man" enter and leave the building shortly before the first 911 call.
"Marshals spent four weeks conducting an extensive video canvas to verify the suspect’s identity before finally finding (an) image of Islam with his hood and mask down," said the FDNY.
Islam has been charged with eight counts of attempted murder, assault and arson, said the FDNY, adding that he will be prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
Apartment occupants received minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital in Jamaica, according to the FDNY.
Brooklyn:Father, son fatally shot in apartment over noise dispute with neighbor
'Tiger King':'Doc' Antle pleads guilty to conspiring to money laundering, breaking federal law
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (23)
Related
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- California restaurant’s comeback shows how outdated, false Asian stereotype of dog-eating persists
- Luke Littler, 16, loses World Darts Championship final to end stunning run
- NFL stars sitting out Week 18: Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey among those resting
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Halle Bailey’s Boyfriend DDG Calls Out “Weird” Interest in Their Relationship After Baby Question
- There’s still room to spend in Georgia’s budget even as tax collections slow
- Prosecutors file evidence against Rays shortstop Wander Franco in Dominican Republic probe
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- 50 ice anglers rescued from Minnesota lake in latest accident due to warm temperatures
Ranking
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Prosecutors ask judge to toss sexual battery charges against Jackson Mahomes
- US new vehicle sales rise 12% as buyers shake off high prices, interest rates, and auto strikes
- How to watch the Golden Globes: Your guide to nominations, time, host and more
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historic standards
- Four children killed in a fire at a multifamily home in Connecticut
- Meet the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club, a little dog with a big smile
Recommendation
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Prosecutors file evidence against Rays shortstop Wander Franco in Dominican Republic probe
Japan police arrest a knife-wielding woman inside a train after 4 people are reported injured
Ugandan police say gay rights activist in critical condition after knife attack
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historic standards
Jack Black joins cast of live-action 'Minecraft' movie
Injured Washington RB Dillon Johnson expected to play in title game against Michigan