Tenant arrested after setting man on fire in apartment building stairwell: police

Samuel Gompers Houses on the Lower East Side
Samuel Gompers Houses on the Lower East Side Photo credit Google Street View

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A 27-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly setting another man on fire in a public housing building stairwell, police said Sunday.

Live On-Air
Ask Your Smart Speaker to Play W C B S Eight Eighty
WCBS Newsradio 880
Listen Now
Now Playing
Now Playing

The horrific attack took place around 5 p.m. Friday in the Samuel Gompers Houses on Pitt Street on the Lower East Side, police said.

The suspect, a tenant in the building, allegedly lit the man’s pant leg on fire in an attempt to scare the man out of sleeping in the stairwell of the 14-story apartment building, according to police.

The victim was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition.

The 27-year-old faces charges for attempted murder, assault and arson, police said.

The victim was reportedly homeless and struggling with substance abuse, according to the Daily News.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Google Street View