Authorities believe an arsonist may have started the fire in a Queens garage that tragically claimed the lives of two individuals suspected of squatting. The incident is now being investigated as a homicide, as confirmed by officials on Tuesday.
The victims, Edward Daniel Jacobs, 35, and an unidentified woman, perished in the fire that broke out at around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday at a detached structure on 91st Avenue near 175th Street in Jamaica.
Law enforcement now considers the fire suspicious, although the reason for this suspicion has not been disclosed.
Investigators are exploring the possibility that the victims were squatting in the garage, as suggested by an FDNY source. The space was described as having “heavy clutter” by an NYPD official.
Fahim Shawon, a student residing on the home’s second floor, mentioned to The Post that the front door of the house had no lock. He noted that people were frequently seen entering and exiting the first floor and the garage at the back of the property.
Shawon recalled, “I used to not even know that people lived in the garage. One day, the cops came, and they were searching for people… and they told me.”
“Last night, there were four or five [people] on the stairs,” Shawon added. “I just rushed past them to my door. On the stairs, you see needles, smoking. I have seen those things. It was always bad things.”
This potential arson incident is just one in a series of crimes involving squatters in the area.
In a separate incident last month, a fire in Irvington, NJ, destroyed five homes, with authorities investigating whether squatters residing in one of the houses were responsible for the blaze.
The fire left approximately 30 individuals, including 26 adults and four children, homeless.
Earlier this year, two teenage squatters were charged with murder in Manhattan after allegedly killing a woman by stomping on her. The victim, Nadia Vitels, was attacked by 18-year-old Kensly Alston and 19-year-old Halley Tejada upon her return from a trip. The teens proceeded to stuff her into a duffel bag, resulting in her death.
Alston and Tejada were charged with second-degree murder among other offenses.
