NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ WCBS 880 NEWS) – A Brooklyn landlord was charged with attempted murder on Thursday for allegedly setting fire to a building with eight tenants inside, prosecutors said.
Rafiqul Islam, 66, the owner of 212 Forbell St. in Cypress Hills, a two-story, two-family home in Brooklyn, was arraigned on a 59-count indictment.
On Sept. 26, a tenant on the second floor noticed a burning small and went out to the corridor to take a look. He saw fire coming up the stairwell and the entire family, including six children, ages 1 to 8, climbed out of a back window and onto the roof.
The building, built in 1930, had a single entrance and no fire escape.
Two adult tenants dropped the children to neighbors waiting about 20 feet below, then jumped off the roof themselves. One of them called 911.
When firefighters arrived, the building was fully engulfed in flames. It took about 55 firefighters to extinguish the fire.
The family members were taken to Brookdale Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
In a video obtained by the FDNY, Islam is allegedly seen entering the building wearing a mask and carrying a bucket and a garbage bag.
The video also captured Islam allegedly leaving the building right before the tenant’s call 911.
Witnesses were later able to identify Islam from the surveillance footage, according to the indictment.
Islam was arrested on Oct. 25.
“It’s a miracle no one was killed or more seriously hurt,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “We will now seek to hold the defendant accountable for this allegedly deliberate and unconscionable act of arson.”
Islam was allegedly angry that the tenants had stopped paying rent and were refusing to move out of the unit, according to the investigation. Three prior complaints were made between Islam and the tenants dating back to February including accusation that Islam threatened to cut off the power.
Islam also allegedly placed a dead cat in the hallway outside the family’s apartment.
He was arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree attempted assault, second-degree attempted arson, third- and fourth-degree arson, first- and second-degree reckless endangerment, and endangering the welfare of a child.