A New York City landlord is facing a litany of charges, including 8 counts of attempted murder, following an alleged arson incident at one of his buildings, which was reportedly ignited amid a dispute with a tenant over unpaid rent. The accused, identified as 66-year-old Rafiqul Islam, was taken into custody last month in connection with a fire at his Brooklyn property, where a family with six children resided.
According to Huff Post, Mr. Islam’s ire stemmed from the family’s cessation of rent payments and their refusal to vacate the premises. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) posted on Facebook, stating that he intentionally set fire to an interior staircase at 212 Forbell Street in Brooklyn.
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FDNY Fire Marshals have arrested Rafiqul Islam in an arson case involving a landlord. Investigators assert that Islam was incensed because his second-floor tenant had discontinued rent payments and declined to vacate the property. Consequently, he ignited a fire within the building’s interior staircase. At the time of the incident, two adults and six children were present in the residence, and they were able to escape unharmed.
According to FDNY, the victims of the fire disclosed that Mr. Islam had threatened to disconnect their gas and electricity services and incinerate the house if they did not promptly produce the overdue rent.
A month-long investigation by authorities unveiled video evidence depicting Mr. Islam wearing a mask and hood, entering and exiting the residence just before the first 911 call. Additionally, a photo revealed his face with the mask and hood down.
The blaze was deliberately started on an interior staircase within the building. As per the New York Post, the family of eight was inside when the fire broke out, but all managed to escape safely. The parents reportedly entrusted two of their children to the neighbors below and firefighters rescued the other two, while the parents themselves leaped from the roof.
It has been reported that Mr. Islam initiated a civil lawsuit a day after the fire against a second-floor occupant, claiming a debt of $26,592. Subsequently, the occupant filed a counterclaim a month later, asserting that she and her family were “driven from the subject premises by a fire.” The lawsuit also cited various conditions that rendered the apartment uninhabitable, including a mice and roach infestation, water damage, and the presence of lead paint.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is currently pursuing multiple criminal charges against Mr. Islam.
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