The Queens County Medical Examiners Office removed the body of an unidentified 43-year-old male who was found severely burned in his bed. His hands and feet had been bound.
Firefighters at the scene of a two-alarm fire in Richmond Hill early Sunday morning made a grisly discovery after bringing the flames under control. A 43-year-old unidentified man was found dead in his bed. The victim was severely burned and according to police, had been bound at the hands and feet.
Fire marshals have launched a full-scale inquiry into the incident because of the volume of the fire and how rapidly it spread. It took more than 100 firefighters to bring the fire under control.
The blaze tore through a second story apartment, one of two above the A&A Deli Mini Market, located at 118-15 95th Avenue, sending the occupants of a second apartment, located in the front of the house onto the cold street below.
“Somebody was yelling, ‘Fire, fire,’ and there was smoke all over. I got the kids and ran out,” said one of the tenants, a man with two children. On their way out, he said they could see the flames darting in and out of the buildings windows. “It was very frightening.”
An unidentified man living less than one block away from the fire was taken in for questioning around 11 A.M. after the fire.
Family members of the victim at the scene remembered him as a good man “quiet and always keeping to himself.” A cousin told reporters the family didn’t know all that much about him. “He was a bit of a loner,” said the man who did not wish to be further identified.
Also at the scene was the victim’s brother who said they [family] did not really know what happened and that they were cooperating with police in the investigation. A neighbor at the scene, James Penfold, was awakened by the noise of the emergency response and went outside to see what was going on. “I saw some of my neighbors outside and they told me everything was on fire—the garage where I park my two cars was also on fire. I went down the street and saw the flames coming out of the windows and shooting straight up.” Both of the vehicles appeared to have been destroyed in the fire.
Although it remains unconfirmed, detectives were seen taking an unidentified man living on the next block from the fire out of his home for what police sources said was questioning over the incident. The NYPD is continuing with its investigation.
By Patricia Adams
