11 year old sets 2 New York homes ablaze with Fourth of July fireworks
- Karamjit Singh, 33, who gave the child the fireworks, has been arrested on arson charges
A New York man who authorities said gave fireworks to an 11-year-old, who then set two homes on fire, has been arrested on arson charges and related offences, police said Friday.
Karamjit Singh, 33, is accused of giving the child fireworks outside his home in Levittown, in the town of Hempstead, on the morning of July 4, Nassau County police said in a news release.
According to authorities, Singh instructed the child to ignite the fireworks, but a “malfunction” set fire to a detached shed, which “became engulfed in flames”.
The fire then spread to Singh’s house on Red Maple Drive North and eventually to a neighbour’s home.
The Wantagh Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fires, officials said. While no injuries were reported, both homes suffered “extensive damage”, according to police.
A tenant living on the second floor of Singh’s home was displaced “due to the damages”, authorities said.