Gothamist77%
Arrest made in fatal Flushing fire that killed 4, including toddler 0%
By Charles Lane36%
4/8/2026, 9:29:00 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 16 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Unattributed Quote, and Biased Writer Voice, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 37.9% saturation with 106 hits. Analysis detected 481 faulty-reasoning hits from 280 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 0% and a BS Rank of 0% (0 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 100.00% of the article peer group.
Police have arrested a 38-year-old man in connection with a fatal fire at a Flushing home that killed four people last month, authorities said.
Roman Amatitla, 38, faces eight counts of murder, eight counts of arson, 12 counts of assault and four counts of petit larceny in the March 16 blaze at 132-05 Avery Ave., according to an NYPD spokesperson.
Amatitla, a Queens resident, was arrested Tuesday by U.S.
Marshals and NYPD detectives.
He was charged on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Attorney information for him was not immediately available.
Law enforcement officials said Amatitla was not related to anyone who lived in the building and allegedly used an accelerant inside the home to start the fire.
The fire broke out in a two-family home that court filings say had been converted into as many as 14 units.
The city medical examiner previously ruled the deaths a homicide.
The blaze killed Sihan Yang, a 3-year-old girl, and Chengri Cui, 50, police said.
Two other victims — a 61-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man — have not been publicly identified.
Police said they are withholding the names of the 61-year-old woman and 63-year-old man pending family notification.
Tenants previously told Gothamist the building was poorly maintained, with garbage blocking hallways, leaks left unrepaired and makeshift units carved out of the home.
City records show dozens of violations at the property, some still open.
The building’s owner, Dechang Yee, was sued by the city in 2023 over $300,000 in unpaid penalties tied to Department of Buildings violations.
Yee’s attorney previously declined to comment.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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100%flagged-word coverageGothamist
24 attributed words40% of attributed speech83% writer coverage
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