Last week in New York, police arrested a man in connection with a deadly five-alarm fire in SoHo that killed one person and several others injured: After Deadly Fire, a Man Is Charged With Murder.
45-year-old Wei Chu Wu apparently started the fire inside a five-story apartment building after fighting with the mother of his child in a domestic dispute, then attempted to stop police officers -- breaking one cop's hand -- and firefighters who were trying to get in to save others in the building.
One tenant was found dead on the the third floor fire escape, her body burned beyond recognition:
The man, Wei Chu Wu, started the fire inside a five-story apartment building in NoLIta after getting into a fight with the mother of his child, who lives on the second floor of the building, the police said.Wu is charged with murder, arson, attempted assault of an officer and resisting arrest. Whatever the hell got this guy upset, it sounds like he wanted to set everything and everyone on fire, and didn't care who the hell got caught up in it. More here: NYPD: Suspect Charged With Arson, Murder In Deadly SoHo Blaze.
After lighting the fire, according to witnesses and the police, Mr. Wu tried to stop emergency responders from entering the building as flames engulfed it. One police officer broke his hand trying to subdue Mr. Wu, the police said.
The fire, at 41 Spring Street, near Mulberry Street, started around 6:40 p.m. and it took nearly 200 firefighters two and a half hours to bring it under control, fire officials said.
When the flames were finally extinguished, a body was discovered on a third-floor fire escape.
The body was "burned beyond recognition," said Paul J. Browne, the chief police spokesman, on Thursday.