A gas explosion that ignited a massive, deadly fire in a Bronx apartment building over the weekend was started by a stove thief, police said.
The blaze tore through the upper levels of a 17-story apartment building on Saturday, killing one and injuring over a dozen more.
Following an investigation, Samuel Calderon, a 55-year-old man, who is homeless, was arrested on Wednesday, New York City police sources told CBS News. He now faces a number of charges, including murder, manslaughter and burglary.
According to police, Calderon removed a stove from a unit, triggering a gas leak which resulted in the explosion. No motive has been identified at this time.
Neighbors said they began smelling gas in the building, located at 3485 Bivonia Street, around noon on Saturday, according to NBC New York. Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters spotted residents leaning from windows and shouting for help as the fire raged.
The New York City Fire Department said in a statement that firefighters were investigating a smell on the 15th and 16th floors when the explosion occurred.
“We had severe structural damage in six apartments on each floor,” Chief of Department John Esposito said.
“We eventually had fire in five apartments on the 16th floor and five apartments on the 17th floor,” he added. “It was a very, very dangerous operation for our firefighters, who performed incredibly on those upper floors, searching and protecting civilian life.”
The department confirmed that one person died and a total of 15 patients were transported to nearby hospitals.
The deceased individual was identified by CBS News as Ronald McCallister, 60, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It’s an incredible tragedy. We’re sending all our thoughts to the families involved,” Leila Bozorg, deputy mayor for housing and planning, said during a news conference on Saturday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that all building utilities were shut off and its 148 apartments were fully vacated.
