Avon Stephens has been identified as the arson suspect who started a blaze at Kings Plaza Mall on Monday, Sept. 16. The blaze — which occurred in the parking garage of the Brooklyn shopping center — caused millions of damage with 21 people, including 18 firefighters, suffering injury. All of the injuries were non-life threatening. The seven-alarm fire began around 8:30 a.m. local time, with 250 firefighters responding to the scene where they battled the blaze for nearly three hours.
“The black, toxic smoke, the heat, the limited area firefighters had to work in all made it very difficult to quickly extinguish the fire. Our members have various levels of smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said during a press briefing. “Working under those conditions with this amount of smoke and this amount of heat, wearing what they wear, one can only imagine what they went through.”
The 23-year-old was arrested and charged with arson late Monday night.
Following his arrest, Stephens, who is on probation for attempted robbery, apologized for the fire that left dozens of Mercedes-Benzes destroyed. According to law enforcement officials, 137 luxury cars were damaged in the blaze.
“I’m sorry. I apologize,” Stephens said, via the New York Post.
The report adds:
He allegedly told police that he targeted the vehicles at Kings Plaza because “people are having sex” in them and he “doesn’t like the cars,” according to law-enforcement sources. There’s been no indication, though, that people have been actually having sex, the sources said.
The report adds that Stephens is known by mall security as a homeless man who sleeps in the parking garage and he was previously ordered to leave the location by police.
Stephens is set to be arraigned on Tuesday, Sept. 18, in Federal Court.
Where Is Kings Plaza Mall?
https://twitter.com/FunnyJS/status/1041675058144571392
Kings Plaza Shopping Center is located in Brooklyn, New York. The indoor mall is home to a number of retailers, national chain outlets, and restaurants. As a result of the fire, Kings Plaza will not open at its normal time on Tuesday, Sept. 18, though it may be open later in the day.
https://twitter.com/KingsPlazaMall/status/1041853639336312832
https://twitter.com/KingsPlazaMall/status/1041888758612799489
