Woman Arrested For Arson, Murder After Setting Fatal Blaze in Dyker Heights
DYKER HEIGHTS – After a fire tore through an apartment building in Dyker Heights yesterday, leaving two dead, police announced they’ve made an arrest: for arson and two counts of murder.
The couple found dead on the third floor of the apartment on 11th Ave & 67th was identified as 58-year old Xi Huang and his wife, Feng Xu, 56.
Another resident of the building, Joanna Mei, 22, was arrested and charged with arson and two counts of murder after she turned herself in last night, police said.
Mei was angry about trash piling up in the hallway of the building and, using an accelerant, set fire to the trash on the first floor, police sources told the New York Post.
Mei allegedly attempted to put the fire out, but it spread quickly, killing the older couple and sending a family of four to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Fire Chief Leonard said that no smoke detectors were in evidence at the building.
25 units and 106 firefighters responded to the 2nd alarm fire and had the blaze under control by 8:15 am, said the FDNY.
