Rafiqul Israel, a landlord in New York, is facing serious charges after he set fire to his property on 212 Forbell St. in Cypress Hills. His tenants were not paying rent so he lit the interior stairs ablaze. Inside the properties, were two adults and six children, who all made it out alive. The New York Fire Department said Israel is facing several offenses, including attempted murder, assault, and arson. The tenants were not paying rent and refused to leave the property leading up to the crime. Officials found a video showing a masked and hooded man entering and leaving the building prior to the 911 call. 

The family of 8 successfully escaped the fire even though they couldn’t go down the stairs with the help of their neighbors, who the parents tossed 4 of the children to in order to get them out. The remaining two children were saved by firefighters while the parents jumped off the roof. In an interview with abc17 news, the Fire Department of New York said “Marshals spent four weeks conducting an extensive video canvas to verify the suspect’s identity before finally finding a video of Islam with his hood and mask down.”

The names of the victims are not currently known at this time. In the same interview with the FDNY, officials said “Interviews with the fire victims revealed Mr. Islam had been threatening to cut off their gas and electric, and ultimately threatened to burn down the house if he wasn’t paid his rent.”