The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance identifying the person seen in the attached video and photographs who is wanted for questioning in connection to two arson incidents that occurred in the 50th precinct.

 

It was reported to police that on Friday June, 11, 2021, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., inside a residential building in the vicinity of University Avenue and West 195th Street, an individual set fire to the door of an apartment.

 

On Monday June 14, 2021, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., the person returned to the building and set fire to the door of another apartment. There were no injuries reported as a result of these incidents.

The individual is described as male, in his 20s, Hispanic, and was last seen wearing dark-colored clothing and had on a gray backpack.

 

Norwood News recently reported on June 20, on a fire that occurred in University Heights on Saturday, June 19, in the afternoon, and that the cause of that fire was possibly being treated as suspicious. The FDNY had tweeted at 12.11 that day that all hands were being requested to respond to 130 West 183rd Street regarding a fire in a multiple dwelling. The officials tweeted, once again, at 12.30, confirming that the fire had been bought under control.

 

FDNY later confirmed to Norwood News that 12 FDNY units, comprising about 60 members responded to the incident and that the fire had been placed under control at 12.29 in the afternoon, and that there had been no injuries.

 

That incident had been reported on the Citizen’s App the same day, with one user writing that FDNY officials were apparently deeming the cause of the fire as suspicious. Users said FDNY officials also said fire marshals had been requested to investigate the incident. Norwood News followed up with FDNY at the time to corroborate if this was the case. We did not receive an immediate response.

 

In the meantime, on June 18, the NYPD reported on an arson complaint in Kingsbridge Heights on June 14 at 3.20 a.m. inside  95 West 195th Street. “A 53-year-old woman complained that an unknown individual caused damage to her door and nearby hallway wall with fire,” the report read.

It continued, “There were no injuries reported or any displacement of residents. The suspect is described as a male, and was last seen wearing a maroon colored sweater and multicolored sneakers. There are no arrests in respect of this incident. The investigation is ongoing.”

 

Inside the Kingsbridge Heights building, a flyer has since been posted near the elevator containing a photo of a young man. It read, “The Arson and Explosion Squad is attempting to identify the depicted subject for setting a series of small rubbish fires inside an apartment building located at 95 West 195th Street in the confines of the 50 pct on two separate dates.”

 

The notice continued, “The subject sets fires against doors of occupied apartments of said dwelling between the hours of 0200 to 0400 on the separate dates.” It concluded, “Anyone with information regarding the above subject, please notify Det. Jacob Garcia at (212) 253 6331 or Detective Borough Manhattan South at (212) 477 7447.”

Garcia was listed as the assigned investigator, the case was logged as “2021-127” and the case report logged as “2021-050-02406.” Norwood News reached out to Garcia on Friday, June 18, at the number provided for further information. He was unavailable at the time. We left a message with his colleague. Our call was not immediately returned.

 

We have also contacted the FDNY again on June 25, further to receipt of the latest reported arson incidents, to ask if all four are connected. We did not receive an immediate response. 

 

We will update this story upon receipt of any further information we receive.

 

Anyone with information can also call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential.