Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. confirmed that Jelani Parker, 41, has pleaded guilty to second-degree arson for setting a fire that engulfed a Hamilton Heights apartment building, injuring firefighters and displacing dozens of families. As reported by Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Parker is expected to face a 12-year prison sentence and subsequently, five years of supervised release post-incarceration.
On November 17, 2017, Parker carried a red gas can into the 565 West 144th Street building, where he lived with his parents, and started the fire that rapidly escalated into a 6-alarm conflagration. Parker, after setting the blaze, was seen on surveillance video hastily descending the stairs of the building enveloped in smoke, exiting before the flames spread. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office remarked, "Jelani Park intentionally started a 6-alarm-blaze that injured three of the heroic firefighters who responded to the scene and left 35 families without homes." After the incident, Parker fled to North Carolina before moving on to California, where he was eventually apprehended.
It took more than 200 members of the FDNY to control the blaze that ultimately forced over 35 families out of their homes. Among those hurt were three firefighters who sustained injuries while combating the intense fire. The fire not only devastated the residential building, but it also posed a critical threat to the densely populated neighborhood of Hamilton Heights.
In their pursuit of Parker, the District Attorney's office worked in collaboration with multiple agencies, including the FDNY, SEAR Task Force, NYPD, and law enforcement across state lines in North Carolina and California, according to D.A. Bragg. Assistant D.A.s Rachana Pathak and James Clarke took lead on the prosecution, with additional supervision and support from other members of the Rackets Bureau and the Investigation Division. Bragg conveyed his gratitude to all those, who; contributed to the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
The formal sentencing for Jelani Parker is set for January 13, 2026, when the 12-year sentence will officially be imposed following the gravity of his actions and their lasting impact on the Hamilton Heights community.
