Patterson has been charged with setting seven fires in the two neighborhoods in 2025, causing significant damage to public and private property. The indictment includes five counts of Arson in the Third Degree and four counts of Arson in the Fifth Degree, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg stated that Michael Patterson allegedly committed a series of arsons on Manhattan’s public streets, causing extensive damage to public and private property, including five vehicles, and that fortunately no one was injured.
The indictment alleges that on the night of September 30, 2025, Patterson started a series of fires on the Upper East Side that continued into the early morning of October 1, setting trash near multiple vehicles on fire and damaging several cars beyond repair. The alleged spree continued on October 17 on the Upper West Side, where Patterson is accused of setting additional fires, causing significant damage to two more cars.
Assistant District Attorney Amanda Blott is leading the prosecution, under the supervision of Chief of Trial Bureau 60, Assistant District Attorney Charles Whitt, and Executive District Attorney Lisa DelPizzo, Chief of the Trial Division.
District Attorney Bragg acknowledged the efforts of the FDNY, including Fire Marshals Jaime Shiwgobin, Olando Pitts, and Michael Fenton, as well as NYPD Officer Justin Bonilla of the 20th Precinct, for their roles in investigating the arsons.
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