BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A Brooklyn landlord was arrested after allegedly setting a building on fire with his tenants inside in September, according to the FDNY.
Rafiqul Islam allegedly set fire to the stairs inside the home at 212 Forbell St. on Sept. 26, according to officials. Islam was mad that his second-floor tenants stopped paying rent and refused to move out, according to officials. Islam allegedly set the fire with two adults and six kids inside the home, officials said.
All eight people were able to escape the fire, according to FDNY officials.
Before the fire, Islam allegedly threatened to cut his tenant’s gas and electricity. He also threatened to set the home on fire if the rent continued to go unpaid, officials said.
Officials said a video showed a man wearing a mask and a hood enter and leave the home before the call to 911. Investigators also discovered a video verifying that Islam was the masked man, officials said.
Islam was arrested on Oct. 26 and charged with several offenses, including eight counts of attempted murder, assault, and arson.
Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in the New York City and Washington D.C. areas. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
