A hearth that led to a building collapse that killed a Philadelphia firefighter was allegedly set deliberately by building proprietor Al-Ashraf Khalil, federal investigators introduced on Tuesday. Khalil is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of fireplace and aiding and abetting.
Philadelphia Fire Department Lieutenant Sean Williamson, 51, died June 18 whereas battling the blaze.
“This finding is a glaring example of how the violent act of arson is, and in this instance, very unpredictable, and when someone sets a fire to a building, that fire can spread and cause the death and serious injuries of many individuals,” ATF Special Agent Matthew P. Varisco stated at a presser on Tuesday.
Although he had instructed investigators that he had no plans to go away the U.S., Khalil fled the nation on June 22 after he was questioned by investigators, regulation enforcement officers stated on Tuesday.
But “extraordinary diplomatic efforts” between a number of companies — together with the U.S. Marshals Service, Interpol and the FBI — and Jordanian authorities led to Khalil being refused entry to Jordan and arrested at JFK airport in New York City on Friday, U.S. Marshal Eric Gartner instructed reporters.
Khalil, 28, was arrested and positioned in handcuffs bearing Williamson’s initials and his badge quantity, in accordance with CBS Philly’s Joe Holden.
Khalil owned the three-story building in Philadelphia that went up in flames earlier this month. Although the fireplace was efficiently contained and all eight folks residing in it had been evacuated, the building collapsed whereas firefighters had been nonetheless inside to ensure the fireplace was utterly extinguished. Five Philadelphia firefighters, together with Williamson, a 27-year veteran of the division, and one building inspector, had been inside on the time, investigators stated.
Despite telling federal brokers he wasn’t within the space on the time of the fireplace, Khalil and an unidentified suspect had been each seen on surveillance footage coming out and in of the building earlier than it caught on fireplace, investigators stated.
“The voluminous video surveillance recovered by investors showed two suspects minutes before the fire began in the early morning hours of June 18 walk behind a dumpster and enter the basement doors of the property,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Nelson Thayer stated Tuesday. “The video surveillance further shows that, at about 20 minutes later, the two suspects leave the location, shortly after which smoke can be seen emanating from the direction of the building, and immediately thereafter flames can be seen on the video.”
Authorities stated the investigation into the blaze remains to be ongoing and didn’t focus on additional particulars concerning the case.
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