BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A Brooklyn landlord was arrested after allegedly setting a fire with his tenants inside in September, according to FDNY.
Rafiqul Islam allegedly set fire to stairs inside the home at 212 Forbell Street 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. That is when Islam set the fire with two adults and six kids inside the home.
All the eight people trapped were able to escape the fire, according to FDNY officials.
Before the fire, Islam allegedly threatened to cut his tenant's gas and electricity and even set the home on fire if the rent continued to go unpaid.
Officials said a video showed a man with a mask and a hood enter the home and leave the house before the call to 911. After investigating, officials discovered a video verifying that Islam was the masked man.
Islam was arrested on Oct. 26 and charged with a number of 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.
