NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A man has been federally indicted for setting a Chinatown spa on fire with a worker trapped inside, prosecutors announced Friday.
Mario Lucas, 46, was charged with a single count of arson resulting in injury to another person for the June blaze, which trapped him as well, until a good Samaritan helped them escape.
"Intentionally setting a fire is a heinous crime, and doing so while knowing there is a person trapped inside is reprehensible," said Acting FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. "We are grateful to our Fire Marshals and all law enforcement for quickly apprehending this man and keeping him off our city's streets."
According to the indictment, Lucas walked into the spa on Eldridge Street near Broome Street around 4:45 p.m. on June 19 and appeared to strike up a conversation with a woman working inside.
As the woman headed into the spa's back room, Lucas allegedly opened his backpack, pulled out a white plastic bag appearing to hold a container of liquid and poured the liquid all over the lobby.
Lucas, of Guatemala, then allegedly took a lighter out of his pocket and lit the liquid on fire, and the room went up in flames.
Prosecutors said Lucas then tried to leave the spa through the front door, but it wouldn't open. The victim was apparently still in the back room at this time.
As seen on video taken from the outside, the spa was filled with smoke and fire just before 5 p.m. A crowd then gathered outside, and a man used a bar stool to force open the door, and Lucas ran out down Eldridge Street. The victim escaped a minute later.
Law enforcement was able to track Lucas' movements through security camera footage collected from various locations in and around the spa, court documents said.
Prosecutors said the footage showed that he removed his hooded sweatshirt and shirt and left them on the street. He also dropped his black backpack.
Lucas appeared to have severe burns and was attempting to take off his clothes as a result.
Police found Lucas about two blocks from the spa and put him in an ambulance, which is when he presented them with a Guatemalan identification card bearing the name "Mario Lucas."
It remains unclear what motivated the attack.
If convicted, Lucas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years.
