Man Pleads Guilty To Firebombing NYC Apartment Building Over Dispute

QUEENS, NY — A 50-year-old man has pled guilty to committing arson and firebombing a Flushing apartment building in January 2022, prosecutors announced.

Atahualpa Rodriguez, on January 12, firebombed a multi-story building on Parsons Boulevard after a dispute with one of the building's tenant, prosecutors said.

At 4:40 a.m, the targeted tenant awoke to the sound of breaking glass and heard a voice state: “F—k you all.”

The resident walked out of the bedroom and saw the fire ignited by Rodriguez.

One firefighter was injured when a section of ceiling collapsed on him, an individual suffered first-degree burns, and a third person was hospitalized after breathing contaminated air.

The fire caused approximately $1 million in damages and completely destroyed the targeted apartment unit, prosecutors said.

"The defendant admitted that he deliberately set fire to an apartment building in the pre-dawn darkness while many tenants slept, causing the destruction of one apartment unit, damage to surrounding units and injuries to the brave first responders who battled the blaze,” said United States Attorney Breon Peace. “His actions showed complete disregard for human life and placed hundreds of people in grave danger over a personal dispute."

Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

“Deliberately setting a fire is an egregious crime that deserves severe punishment,” said
FDNY Commissioner Tucker. “In this case, three of our firefighters were injured due to this
unspeakable crime. We want to thank the NYPD’s Arson and Explosion Squad along with
FDNY fire marshals and ATF agents for their diligent and swift work in this case. We are
relieved, Atahualpa Rodriguez will no longer be on our city’s streets.