Overview
- Police arrested Roman Amatitla, 38, and charged him with eight counts of murder, eight of arson, 12 of assault, and four of petit larceny.
- The fire at 132-05 Avery Ave. in Flushing killed four people, including 3-year-old Sihan Yang and 50-year-old Chengri Cui, with two other victims not yet named.
- The city medical examiner ruled the four deaths homicides, moving the case into a full criminal probe.
- Court filings say the two-family house had been split into as many as 14 units, and city records show dozens of building violations still open.
- The owner, Dechang Yee, was sued in 2023 over about $300,000 in unpaid Department of Buildings penalties, and officials have not announced a motive or final cause.