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A couple has been found dead after a suspicious fire ripped through their home as the suspect remains at large.
An unidentified man, 77, was found chained to a pole in the basement of his home on Monday while his wife, 78, was discovered on the first floor of the house, according to ABC 7.
A manhunt has been launched for the male suspect, who is believed to have entered the $790,000 home on 87-86 254th Street in Bellerose, Queens, on Monday afternoon and set it on fire.
The couple’s son allegedly works for the New York City fire department as a paramedic, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, according to the New York Post.
Surveillance footage, released by the NYPD, showed a man carrying what appeared to be a duffle bag close to the house around 3:30pm.
The man allegedly entered the home around 10:15am after the male homeowner let him through the backdoor, The New York Times reported.
He was then seen leaving hours later, roughly 14 minutes before the fire alarms went off.
The suspect had previously attempted to get inside another home, but was turned away, sources said.
An unidentified man, 77, was allegedly found tied to a pole in the basement of his home, which is estimated to be worth up to $790,000, on Monday after a fire ripped through his home. His wife, 78, was also found dead in the home
Police are on a manhunt for the male suspect (pictured), who is believed to have entered 87-86 254th Street in Bellerose, Queens, on Monday afternoon and set fire
Police said the man is between 30 and 40 years old, is of medium build, and was last seen wearing a black hat, jacket, and sneakers, and blue jeans.
Authorities are investigating the fire as a homicide and the blaze has been ruled as ‘incendiary,’ FDNY said. It is unclear if the man knew the couple or what his potential motive was.
The fire was put out with in an hour, officials said. And sources told Pix 11 that the woman was allegedly set on fire.
Neighbors said the couple has lived in the home for at least 40 years and raised their family there.
They took great care of their home, neighbors told ABC 7.
‘The nicest neighbors you can ever ask for,’ John Ruiz, a neighbor, said. ‘He would always wave to us. Just this past weekend, he waved to us. And, you know, it’s sad.’
Greg Roslonoski gave police his doorbell footage, which did not end up capturing the fire.
‘You can tell that there was more to it than just the fire they were looking for,’ Roslonoski said. ‘Looking at the flame, there had to be something that made it happen that fast.’
Authorities are investigating the fire as a homicide and the blaze has been ruled suspicious
Pictured: Burnt remains of the home. It is unclear if the man knew the couple or what his motive was
The fire was put out with in an hour, officials said. And sources told Pix 11 that the woman was allegedly set on fire
Sarah Roslonowski, 27, who lives opposite to the couple, said the couple had always had a big presence in the neighborhood and watched out for the kids while they played.
She recalled a time in May where the couple had grown concerned after brought an injured baby bird to their door to ask if it had fallen from a nest on their property.
‘They went into the backyard to check for a nest,’ she told The Times. ‘They were really kind about it.’
Murder is up in the Big Apple 400 percent week-to-date, which five deaths happening this week, compared to one in 2024. Year-to-date it is down nearly 20 percent.
Total violent crime is also down 4.5 percent compared to 2024, NYPD data showed.
Daily Mail has contacted the NYPD for further comment.
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