​A New York City man is facing murder charges after allegedly setting a fire in a Queens apartment building that killed four people, including a 3-year-old girl, and injured seven others, authorities said. Roman Amatitla, 38, of Maspeth, was arrested Wednesday and arraigned on multiple charges, including eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson, in connection with the March 16 blaze at a three-story building on Avery Avenue in Flushing. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors described the incident as an act of mass murder. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Amatitla had no known motive and did not appear to have any connection to the building or its occupants, noting that he selected the building at random. Prosecutors said Amatitla was seen entering and exiting the Avery Avenue building several times that morning, at one point urinating in front of the apartments. He then went to a nearby gas station, bought a beer, stole a second one, and took a pack of matches after refusing to pay for a lighter. After entering the building for a fourth and final time, authorities said, he lit a piece of paper on fire and tossed it onto trash near a stairwell. As smoke spread through the street, he remained in the area watching the building burn, according to court testimony.

During a Thursday court hearing, Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale said Amatitla “watched as people jumped from various windows, some of them living, one of them dying,” while sipping a beer, according to a report from the New York Post. Three of the victims — Sihan Yang, 3; Chengri Cui, 49; and Shin Chie Ming, 61 — were found inside the building and pronounced dead at the scene from smoke inhalation. A fourth victim, Hong Zhao, 64, died later at a local hospital after suffering multiple broken bones and brain trauma when he leaped from a window to escape the flames. Several first responders were injured in the rescue, including an FDNY lieutenant and a firefighter who entered the basement after a staircase collapsed, suffering thermal burns and smoke inhalation. Four other occupants were injured by jumping to flee the fire, and a fifth was rescued from a second-story window by firefighters.

Prosecutors said Amatitla “had to get his rage out on someone or something,” though no official motive has been released. NYPD records indicate he is from Mexico, though his immigration status has not been confirmed.  

​A Washington state man was shot and killed by a neighbor after allegedly opening fire on two adult female relatives during a domestic dispute that spilled into a nearby driveway, police said. Officers with the Puyallup Police Department responded around 9:10 a.m. on April 2, and investigators allege 47-year-old Arnino Guanlao fired on his adult relatives after a family argument escalated outside the home. A neighbor who had been inside at the time stepped outside and fatally shot Guanlao to intervene, according to police.

One of the victims, 23-year-old Christiannel Lyle Macapagal Maningat, died at the scene. The second woman was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. The case remains under investigation, including a review of the neighbor’s use of force.

Washington law allows a person to use force to protect themselves or others if they reasonably believe it is necessary, but deadly force is justified only when facing an immediate threat of serious injury or death. Puyallup Police Department Captain Kevin Gill said during a press briefing that investigators are still determining exactly how the circumstances unfolded.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted in the neighborhood. A neighbor told reporters there was a girl who was found with a gunshot wound after responders arrived, and others said the community is in shock.

Investigators said the neighbor who shot Guanlao is cooperating as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the use of force. Detectives are processing multiple scenes tied to the incident, and residents reported hearing multiple gunshots. Additional reporting by Law&Crime identified Guanlao as the victims’ stepfather and said he had been firing at his adult stepdaughters when the neighbor intervened. Authorities have not said what sparked the initial dispute.  

​A California sheriff’s detective was shot and killed Thursday while serving an eviction notice after an armed suspect opened fire on deputies in what authorities described as an apparent ambush. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the shooting happened around 10:40 a.m. in Porterville, where deputies encountered a man identified as David Morales, who allegedly fired at them with a high-powered rifle. The suspect remained barricaded and in an ongoing standoff with law enforcement as of Thursday.

Authorities described Morales as a repeat offender with a long violent record who had been released on a $50,000 bond days earlier. The detective was struck by gunfire and transported to Sierra View District Hospital, where he died at 11:57 a.m., Boudreaux said. “This situation went from a civil order of removal to where our officer was shot [and] killed — this is senseless,” Boudreaux said. Authorities had considered airlifting the detective to Fresno, but his condition was too unstable for transport. Boudreaux said Morales had not paid rent for 35 days and deputies were serving a final eviction notice when the shooting occurred.

Morales appeared to have been waiting for deputies and “laid in wait” before opening fire, prompting a call for additional units. “I sat down at the hospital and met with the wife and his mom, and I can tell you there is no consoling that family at this point,” Boudreaux said. “Attacks on law enforcement of this nature must stop.” Law enforcement agencies from across the region responded to assist, and an escort was being organized to accompany the fallen detective from the hospital to the coroner’s office, Boudreaux said.  

​Rex Heuermann, the Gilgo Beach serial killer, admitted this week to torturing and murdering eight women across Long Island, New York, and has agreed to be evaluated by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit as part of a plea deal that carries three life sentences without the possibility of parole. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told reporters after Heuermann entered his guilty plea that the interviews with the defendant would be clinical in nature—designed to explore his motivations and background as an academic and scientific exercise rather than as investigative questioning. He noted the sessions would likely be limited to what Heuermann pled guilty to, with the goal of gaining insight to inform future cases.

Heuermann’s decision to cooperate places him alongside other infamous killers who have been profiled by the BAU, including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy. Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, a pioneer of the Behavioral Science Unit, suggested that such an evaluation could yield valuable understanding of a criminal who was highly organized, meticulous, and skilled at evading detection across many years.

The potential payoff, Burgess added, lies in examining the psychological makeup of someone who appears to be orderly and capable of murder on a large scale. She acknowledged that Heuermann could have had more victims, and that the full extent of his actions might become clearer through this process. Officials may have been drawn to studying Heuermann because of particular aspects of his killings.

The agreement requires Heuermann to be truthful, accurate, and complete with the BAU, according to defense attorney Michael Brown. While the interviews could provide crucial insights into the inner workings of a serial killer’s mind, Burgess cautioned that collaborating with the FBI can also influence how the case is interpreted or narrated, so researchers must be mindful of that dynamic.  

​NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!. A Florida woman who posed as a nurse and treated more than 4,400 patients without a license was sentenced this week to probation and community service after pleading no contest, avoiding jail time in a case authorities once called deeply disturbing.. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa, of Palm Coast, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday to unlicensed practice of healthcare and fraudulent use of identification.. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols withheld adjudication and sentenced Bardisa to five years of probation and 50 hours of community service as part of the agreement.. She must also write a letter of apology to the nurse whose license number she used.. As part of the plea deal, Bardisa forfeited a nursing license she obtained after her arrest to the Florida Department of Health and is barred from working in the medical field during her probation.. MAN CHARGED IN $90M MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME; DOJ SAYS SUSPECT MAY HAVE ENTERED US ILLEGALLY. Bardisa was originally charged with seven counts of unlicensed practice of health care and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information following a seven-month investigation.. Authorities said she treated more than 4,400 patients between June 2024 and January 2025, while falsely presenting herself as a licensed nurse at AdventHealth.. Investigators determined Bardisa never held a valid nursing license during that time and instead used the license number of another nurse who shared her first name.. FLORIDA EXECS SENTENCED IN $233M OBAMACARE FRAUD THAT TARGETED HOMELESS, HURRICANE VICTIMS. The case stemmed from a months-long investigation involving state and federal health agencies after hospital officials discovered Bardisa had allegedly used another nurse’s license number and falsified records to land a job as an advanced nurse technician.. Investigators said Bardisa initially applied under an “education first” designation, typically used for nursing graduates who have not yet passed their licensing exam. She later claimed she had completed the exam and provided a license number belonging to a different nurse with the same first name.. To explain inconsistencies, Bardisa told hospital staff she had recently changed her last name after getting married but never produced documentation when asked to verify the claim.. LOS ANGELES COUNTY FACES SCRUTINY AFTER ALLEGED WIDESPREAD HOSPICE FRAUD EXPOSED. Despite the missing paperwork, Bardisa was promoted in January 2025, according to investigators. Concerns surfaced when a coworker independently checked her credentials and found she only held an expired certified nursing assistant license, prompting hospital officials to notify authorities.. The scheme unraveled after that discovery, leading to her termination and a broader criminal investigation involving multiple agencies.. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Bardisa’s actions put patients at risk a