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Andrew Kelly / Reuters
Fire crews tend to a fire in a residential complex at 41 spring street in New York Jan. 10. Authorities reported that the fire was a result of suspected arson and that one fatality was confirmed.
A man accused of intentionally starting a deadly five-alarm fire inside a SoHo apartment building after a domestic dispute with his child's mother may have lit several small fires in the hallway and apartment that eventually spread, NBC 4 New York has learned.
Wei Chu Wu, 45, is charged with first-degree arson, second-degree murder and second-degree attempted assault of a police officer for allegedly fighting with first responders to keep them from entering the building at 41 Spring St. as the flames spread. A police officer suffered a broken hand in the confrontation, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Witnesses said they saw the suspect start a fire in the second-floor hallway about 6:40 p.m. Thursday after he got into an argument with a woman described by officials as the mother of his child. A source familiar with the investigation tells NBC 4 New York that he also may have lit other fires inside the apartment.
The fire quickly spread to the roof, and by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the back of the building was fully engulfed, according to FDNY Chief of Fire Operations James Esposito. The fire wiped out the entire stairwell between the second and fifth floors of the building.
Read original story at NBCNewYork.com
The person who died was on an upper floor at the time of the fire, Esposito said. Law enforcement officials said the body was so badly burned they haven't been able to identify the deceased person.
The suspect's child and the child's mother are accounted for.
Wu was awaiting arraignment and it was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer.
About 200 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was declared under control after about three hours. Two civilians and seven firefighters suffered minor injuries.
A firefighter from Los Angeles who was on vacation in New York City first noticed the fire from across the street and rushed over to help. The suspect tried to keep him out, and proceeded to fight with the first responders who arrived on the scene.
"He knocked me one time, didn't want me to go in the second time," the firefighter told NBC 4 New York on Friday.
The building is mixed retail-residential, with a Pinkberry frozen yogurt shop occupying the ground floor.
Leave a Comment:
Time for NYC to ban fire.
No fire doesn't kill people its matches! and bic lighters!
ya, it's not THE solution, but it's a part of the solution and it will send a message. no longer will we allow fires to terrorize this nation. but you know what the neocons will say, fires don't kill people, people kill people. just a shame the NFA has such power in this country.
I hope that Officer broke his hand on that mans nose
Kill him. This is just heinous. Heinous.
Scumbag needs the death penalty. And he was fighting with first responders, trying to keep them from entering the building? Piece of garbage. If he is that miserable, he should have just gone off and killed himself then, did the world a favor, and not caused harm to anyone else.
What no guns involved Comrad Biden and muslim socialist Obozo will sure be let down.
"...damned socialist, muslim-hugging commie bastids, blah, blah, blah..." Okay Teathug, feel better now? Oh, and it's "comrade".
Leave it to a damned socialist, muslim-hugging commie bastid to be a "Spelling Nazi" too. And, BTW, it's **stard, not **stid. Hypocrite!
While we're banning stuff, why not ban male/female relationships altogether? They're the ones who seem to do the most harm to each other and their children. Gay couples don't typically behave so poorly. Now, before you jump all over this post, I hope you'll consider the sarcasm intended. I did it to prove a point. You all just can't leave politics out of anything, including a domestic dispute. Because of the dynamics of this man and his child's mother, an innocent life is lost, as well as thousands of dollars in property damage.
lawful1: Just wait until gays are allowed to get married nationwide -- you'll see just as much poor behavior. I'm all for gay marriage - they deserve the right to be just as miserable as everyone else!
(Note that I'm also kidding.)
Matt, are you a fool or what. And for the rest of you suggesting fire, FIRE?, be banned? Stupidity knows no bounds. Stay off the 'Vine if you can't make an intelligent post. And how did this become about our President. I don't see his name in the article at all.
This article is about domestic violence, all too prevalent in our country, and a person who wanted to terrorize people in a building, especially the mother of his kid.
Nothing about his religion or anything like that either so don't call him a Muslim.
Govenor Cuomo will find a gun there even if he has to plant one there by one of his mindless liberal cronies.
How's about sticking to the topic at hand, or in the alternative, post your rant on an appropriate forum? Awww, don't go away mad, just go away.
Cathy V - you have a point. so, could you please repost your comment on the Motley Crue Fanpage Message Board?
So, your building is on fire and you assault the firefighters. Time to cull the herd, folks. Can't we just put these people down? (publicly) No mas!
and next they would have persons put down because you don't agree with their political ideas.
Govenor Cuomo, Comrad Biden and socialist Obozo need to Ban matches, or at least have a back ground check done before allowing someone to purchase them.
I agree 100% and maybe throw Bic lighters in too.
Sorry, folks, for responding to the troll. I would venture to say aggravated manslaughter will be the charge that sticks - hopefully the perp will spend the rest of his days behind bars. I don't get the mentality of anyone who would either be so jealous or such a control freak that they would be willing to kill someone and jeopardize the lives of others in the process. This dude could've been on drugs, could be a mental patient, but that doesn't mitigate the atrocity committed. He needs to be permanently removed from society, through whatever means the courts deem appropriate.
Maybe what needs to done is not sell matches in packages over ten, do a complete back ground check for mental stability. Not stopping there, this goes for knifes, forks, hammers and anything that comes out of a hard ware store. We want to stand behind our misguided socialist leader Obozo.
Why isn't the media naming him?
Good question
Maybe because it may reveal his ethnic background
That was my suspicion. The trouble is, that privilege is not extended to the majority of ethnicities.
Some one died and no gun was involved? Can't be true. No one dies in the US unless they are shot first. We gotta remove all these dangerous weapons. Lets ban everything that could cause harm. Food, drinks, matches, cars, etc... Oh I know, lets just ban humans, that will stop all this crime and violence. SARC/ OFF
I thought NYC was a fire free zone...... Whats next California allowing earthquakes!!!! This has to be stopped, call your Congressman NOW!!!! (or if you are a congressman or woman, start some random/useless legislation while the moments right)
Hard to believe that someone could be so callous as to do this. Because of an argument with someone he tried to kill many innocent people and manged to have one burn beyond recognition. WTF? What is wrong with people today? And then to try to stop the first responders from entering the building...I agree, I hope the police officer broke his hand on the guys nose! It didn't take long for the comments turn political or to try to bring gun control into the fray where guns are not involved...that in itself is sad.
Sounds like the city of New York needs to outlaw all matches, and bic lighters, put that on the list Coumo and Bloomberg, don't forget to remove the perps jaw and nose that the officer broke his hand on, thats an executive order, sig heil!!
Oh no! Is Diane Feinstein gong to be coming after our lighters now?
Maybe Bloomberg will ban high quantity lighters in the cith now.
He heard the pen is mightier than the sword, and wants to reduce the amount of ink in them.
Ban all sources of heat and flame.
Typical crappy reporting and incorrect use of the word "suspect". NBC New York should try reading the NY Daily News where in their article the "suspect" whom witnesses said they SAW lighting the fire, is Wei Wu, 45 yrs old. He's a perp not a suspect. And WTF did he use to start the fire, napalm? The article says that the fire was started at 6:40 pm in a 2nd flr stairwell and when the Fire Dept arrived it spread two floors up and the back of the bldg was fully engulfed. What the fk is this bldg made of, cardboard? How long did the Fire Dept take to get there?
If his name is Wei Wu, then I would bet his knowledge of the English language suddenly disappeared. "No speakee English". Then his lawyers will claim that he was interrogated without a translator, or the translator was working for the police in a conspiracy against him, and he should be set free immediately with no bail, so he can catch that next plane to Beijing.
how is fire legal in a modern society?
So many commentators, so many idiots.
Such a horrific way to die.I'm at a loss when I read about the things people do over an argument.