Story by Ethan
On April 9th, 2026, the arrest of Roman Amatitla, age 38, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Roman Amatitla was charged with first-degree Arson, two counts of first-degree Assault, eight counts of second-degree Murder, second-degree Arson, two counts of second-degree Assault, and Petite Larceny. The arrest and charges against Roman Amatitla were a result of an investigation handled by the FDNY, NYPD, and US Marshals Service.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 11:43 a.m. on March 16th, 2026, Roman Amatitla was on the ground floor of the 132-05 Avery Avenue building in Flushing, New York. After initially remaining on the premises of the building for the next fifteen minutes, the defendant was also seen entering and exiting the building over the next several minutes. Roman Amatitla around this time also entered a nearby gas station across the street to purchase a beer, steal a separate one, and ask the store clerk for a lighter. After being told the lighters weren’t free the defendant instead took a pack of matches. Roman Amatitla then left the gas station and went back to the building on Avery Avenue for the fourth time before lighting a piece of paper on fire on top of garbage located near a stairwell. The defendant remained in the area watching as smoke began to flow onto the street. Shortly after the fire was started responding firefighters located three victims that were all pronounced dead at the scene. These victims were 3-year-old Sihan Yang who was on the third floor, 49-year-old Chengri Cui, and 61-year-old Shin Chie Ming, all determined to have passed from smoke inhalation. 64-year-old Hong Zhao leaped from a window to escape the fire and ended up breaking several bones and sustaining brain trauma. First responders transported him to a local hospital but he was ultimately pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m.. One firefighter and one lieutenant from the FDNY were conducting rescues on residents of the building when they fell to the basement floor after a stairwell connecting the first, second, and third floors collapsed. Four more victims were transported to a local hospital after jumping from the building to escape the fire, and a fifth individual also required treatment for smoke inhalation after being rescued from a second-floor window.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Roman Amatitla are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
