Photo by Miriam Quiñones
Three years after a fire broke out in the Belmont section of the Bronx in which eleven people were hospitalized and two died, police have arrested a Bronx man, and charged him with murder and arson.
The NYPD responded to a 911 call regarding a fire inside 2381 Hoffman Street in the Belmont section of the Bronx, in the 48th precinct on Monday, March 5, 2018 at 1.32 a.m., as reported at the time by The NY Post.
FDNY personnel removed eleven aided people from inside the location, a 5-story residential apartment building, and EMS transported three to St. Barnabas Hospital, where two male victims were pronounced deceased, and one female victim remained in critical condition.
EMS also transported eight aided people to Jacobi Hospital, where one female victim was listed in critical condition and seven, including FDNY personnel, were listed in stable condition. The fire was extinguished by FDNY personnel and its cause was due to be determined by the NYC Fire Marshall. The NY Post reported at the time that, according to “sources,” the blaze started in the kitchen of a first-floor apartment and spread to a second-floor unit through the hallway and stairs.
On Saturday, May 8, 2021, the NYPD reported that the incident has been deemed a double homicide, and that the deceased have been identified as Jordan Conde, 14, of 2381 Hoffman Street, and Roberto Archeval Cortez, 41, also of 2381 Hoffman Street.
Pursuant to the ongoing investigation, Edward Garcia, 47, of Charles Gay Loop on Randall’s Island has been arrested and was charged with three counts of murder, and arson on Friday, May 7, 2021 at 11.10 a.m. in the 48th precinct. The charges were made up of two homicide charges (under New York Penal Code 125.25 01) and a felony murder charge (under New York Penal code 125.25 03). (NYPD confirm there was no third murder victim.)
In New York State, a felony murder allows a person to be charged with second degree murder when he or she acts alone or in concert with others in the commission of certain felonies and he or she, and another participant causes the death of another person.
Norwood News reached out to the FDNY for confirmation of the cause of the fire. We were informed on Monday, May 10, that there was “no cause at this time.”
A person arrested and accused of a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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