A homeless woman from Chicago is being held without bail after she was criminally charged with arson for setting fires at three locations in Maspeth injuring two people on the night of Monday, April 13.
Shaniqua Fort, 36, was arraigned Friday in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging her with two counts of arson in the second degree, arson in the third degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree and other crimes after she started a blaze that destroyed a Chinese restaurant and the apartments above the business, which injured two occupants; set fire to an American flag in front of a funeral home; threw a brick through the window of an insurance office; and tossed an unknown object through the window of a Jewish center and then lit another fire.
According to the charges and investigation, on April 13, at approximately 9 p.m., Fort approached 888 Kitchen at 60-92 Flushing Ave. and removed a black garbage bag from a trash can in front of the building. She then placed the bag into an alcove leading to an entryway, set it on fire and walked away from the location. A 26-year-old male occupant of a second-floor apartment above the restaurant shattered a window with his arm to climb out and escape the fire. He sustained lacerations, bleeding and substantial pain to his arm. Another 27-year-old woman was inside a second-floor apartment at the location and jumped from a window to avoid being burned by the flames. They were transported by EMS to Elmhurst Hospital where the woman underwent surgery for two broken heels and treatment for a finger fracture, burns to multiple fingers and legs and soot inside of her nose and throat. The man was listed in stable condition. A third person refused medical attention at the scene while one firefighter sustained moderate injuries and was transported to an area hospital, the FDNY said.
Several minutes after allegedly setting the fire at the Chinese restaurant, Fort approached D’Angelo’s Funeral Home at 64-18 Grand Ave. and lit on fire an American flag hanging from the front of the building. She removed a second flag hanging from the front of the location and walked away. Shortly afterward, Fort allegedly picked up a brick and threw it through a glass window of an Allstate insurance company office located at 65-02 Grand Ave. After that, Fort allegedly approached the Maspeth Jewish Center at 66-64 Grand Ave., picked up an unknown object and threw it at a glass window, shattering it. The defendant then walked towards several objects along the side of the Jewish Center building and lit them on fire. Fort then went through her belongings, grabbed an unknown object and placed it into the fire, causing the blaze to grow in intensity. She was later taken into custody by police from the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood who were canvassing the Maspeth neighborhood.
“As alleged, the defendant went on a deliberate fire-setting spree, endangering not only local businesses but countless residents in a quiet residential neighborhood,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “My office will pursue arson cases with the utmost urgency and do everything in our power to protect Queens communities from this dangerous and destructive crime.”…