A Bronx resident, identified as Austin Evans, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars after being convicted of second-degree arson, following an incident where he set fire to a pile of garbage in a residential building's hallway. Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark informed the public that Evans was sentenced on Wednesday, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Verena C. Powell, in connection with a case that dates back to an event on February 5, 2021.
According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office, the altercation that led to the arson stemmed from an argument Evans had with the victim a day before the incident. Evans piled rubbish in front of the victim's apartment door and set it alight, without considering, that his actions could endanger the entire building's occupants. "After an argument with the victim the day before, the defendant piled garbage in front of her apartment door and lit it on fire. In his desire to do harm to the victim, he also placed everyone in the building in jeopardy," DA Clark expressed.
The fire took place at the NYCHA Mill Brook Houses in Mott Haven, on East 137th Street. It trapped the 41-year-old woman, with whom Evans had been in a familial relationship, inside her apartment as there was no fire escape on the 15th floor where the incident occurred. Neighbors came to the woman's aid by extinguishing the fire. Evans was apprehended attempting to escape the scene by the police, with a bottle of butane visible in his jacket pocket.
Evans’ trial concluded with a conviction on February 11. "The defendant has been held accountable for his reckless actions," DA Clark stated in a press release. Along with the 15-year prison sentence, Evans will also have five years of post-release supervision. The successful prosecution was the result of teamwork by Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Gattuso, LaShauna Cole, and Amanda Hamilton, with the assistance of supervisors Michael Schordine and Susanna Imbo, and under the general supervision of higher-ups in the Trial Division.
DA Clark expressed gratitude to the law enforcement officers and office staff involved in the investigation and trial preparation. After the sentencing, NYPD Detective Pedro Silverio and FDNY Fire Marshal Enrico Stassi were acknowledged for their work on the case, which resulted in Evans being held accountable for his actions against the residents of Mill Brook Houses.
