NYC man charged with setting deadly fire said he needed to 'get out his rage' after losing job

The New York City skyline is seen behind a plane approaching Newark International Airport in Newark, N.J., Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK — A New York City man has been charged in the death of four people, including a toddler, after setting fire to a residential building last month in a fit of rage over losing his job, prosecutors said.

The choice of building was random, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who called the deadly fire “one of the greatest crimes that this borough has seen in a very long time.”

Prosecutors said Roman Amatitla, 38, was seen entering and leaving the building multiple times on March 16. After buying a box of matches and stealing a beer from a nearby gas station, he returned to the building, lit a piece of paper on fire and placed it on a pile of garbage in the stairwell — then watched the flames spread while drinking a beer outside, according to the criminal complaint.

His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The blaze would kill Sihan Yang, who was 3, 49-year-old Chengri Cui and 61-year-old Shin Chie. A fourth occupant, 64-year-old Hong Zhao, died after leaping from a window to escape the flames.

Four others were treated for injuries, some severe, after jumping from the building. Two firefighters were hurt after a staircase collapsed.

Amatitla, also a Queens resident, later told investigators that he knew the building was occupied and that people would be harmed, but said he needed to “get out his rage” after being fired from his job, according to the criminal complaint.

He said the job was unrelated to the building or anyone who lived there, the complaint said.

Amatitla was charged with eight counts of murder in the second degree, arson and other charges. He faces 25 years to life if convicted.

The Associated Press