Isiah Abramson allegedly set his own apartment building on fire. (photo courtesy of FDNY)A convicted bank robber neighbors accused of setting their Ozone Park apartment building on fire was arrested for arson last week by FDNY fire marshals.
Isiah Abramson, 26, allegedly set fire to the second-floor apartment he shared with his 25-year-old girlfriend and their 3-month-old son at 86-08 101st Ave., around 3:40 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, Fire Department officials said.
The marshals said their investigation determined that Abramson intentionally started the fire after a dispute with his girlfriend that occurred the previous night.
According to neighbors who heard the fighting, Abramson threatened his girlfriend’s life, trashed the apartment and threw her belongings out of a window.
Fire officials verified witness statements: Abramson threatened the woman with a knife and told her he would set fire to the apartment. He said, “If I can’t live here, no one will.” The woman and baby fled and stayed with relatives.
The next day, Abramson returned to the apartment, removed his possessions and set the fire, which spread throughout the second and third floors of the three-story building, according to authorities who said the apartment was empty and locked when firefighters arrived.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, which quickly became a three-alarm fire and caused major damage to the building. It took about 45 minutes to extinguish the flames, and eight suffered minor injuries. No civilians were injured.
Abramson, who was arrested at his mother’s house in Brooklyn the following day, was arraigned Jan. 29 on charges of second- and fourth-degree arson, second-degree criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. He was remanded without bail, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
The defendant, who faces 25 years in prison if convicted of second-degree arson and is due back in court on Feb. 11.
According to Fire Department officials, Abramson has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1997, including a bank robbery conviction from Dec. 18. He is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on Feb. 5.
