Queens, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a Maspeth man has been charged with multiple counts of murder and arson for allegedly setting a fire inside a Flushing residential building that killed four people, including a young child, and injured several others, including two FDNY firefighters.
Roman Amatitla, 38, was arraigned on charges including eight counts of second-degree murder, first-degree arson, and multiple assault offenses following the March 16 fire at 132-05 Avery Avenue. Prosecutors allege the fire was intentionally set inside an occupied building, resulting in mass casualties and significant injuries, in a case being prosecuted by the Queens District Attorney’s Office Homicide Bureau.
Alleged timeline of fire setting
According to the criminal complaint and investigation, Amatitla entered the three-story building multiple times shortly before the fire began. Authorities say he initially entered the ground floor around 11:43 a.m. and remained in the area, repeatedly going in and out of the building over the next several minutes.
Prosecutors allege Amatitla then went to a nearby gas station, where he purchased a beer, stole another, and obtained matches after asking for a lighter. He subsequently returned to the building, entered for a fourth time, and ignited a piece of paper, placing it on top of garbage near a stairwell, starting the fire.
District Attorney Katz stated, “This was an act of mass murder. As alleged, Roman Amatitla deliberately set a fire in an occupied building and killed four people, including a 3-year-old girl.”
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Victims and injuries
Firefighters responding to the blaze discovered multiple victims inside the building. A 3-year-old girl, Sihan Yang, was found on a third-floor bed and pronounced dead at the scene. Two additional victims, Chengri Cui, 49, and Shin Chie Ming, 61, were also found deceased inside the building, all victims of smoke inhalation.
A fourth victim, Hong Zhao, 64, suffered severe injuries after jumping from a window to escape the fire and later died at a hospital.
The fire also left multiple others injured. Two FDNY members—a lieutenant and a firefighter—fell into the basement when a staircase collapsed during rescue efforts. Both were transported to Jacobi Hospital with smoke inhalation and burn injuries.
Several residents were injured while attempting to escape, including individuals who jumped from the building. One victim remains hospitalized, while another was rescued from a second-floor window and treated for smoke inhalation.
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Key Points
• Roman Amatitla charged with eight counts of murder and arson in Queens fire
• Four victims killed, including a 3-year-old girl, in Flushing building blaze
• Multiple injuries reported, including two FDNY firefighters during rescue efforts
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Case status and prosecution
Amatitla was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Thomas Wright-Fernandez and ordered held without bail. He is scheduled to return to court on April 13 and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors allege the defendant had no known connection to the building or its occupants and selected the location at random, underscoring the severity of the charges and the broader public safety implications.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gabriel J. Reale of the Homicide Bureau, with support from Assistant District Attorney Jennie Evangelista, under the supervision of senior leadership within the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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Queens fire, Roman Amatitla, Melinda Katz, Flushing arson, FDNY injuries
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