FDNY investigators say the suspect deliberately discarded a lit cigarette into cardboard boxes, causing them to ignite.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 7:24PMwas released after he made his initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. Officials say 29-year-old Victor Arias started the blaze that took the lives of three people and injured more than a dozen others.
In addition to the three people who were killed, five people were left in critical condition after the fire, including several children. The fire broke out on the first floor of the six-story residential building around 12:30 in the morning last Monday. FDNY investigators say the suspect deliberately discarded a lit cigarette into cardboard boxes, causing them to ignite. That fire then quickly spread through the common hallway and then a stairway of the building, rocketing up through the roof.
Investigators say Arias lived in the Dyckman Street building his entire life with his mother and sister. Arias was released in part because prosecutors say he did not intend to burn the building down. He is due back in court on June 5. Until then, he cannot travel outside the city, must abide by a curfew, and will be subject to electronic monitoring.
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