September 9, 2025 QUEENS, NY — An idyllic, quiet Queens neighborhood has been rocked by tragedy after a devastating fire on Monday afternoon left two long-time residents dead. The NYPD is now investigating the blaze as a double homicide, and the search is on for the man they say intentionally set the fire.
The horrific incident unfolded just after 3 p.m. at a home near the corner of 200 54th Street and 87th Drive in Bellerose. According to the FDNY, the fire started on the first floor and spread rapidly, taking about 60 firefighters an hour to get under control.
Once the smoke cleared, firefighters made a grim discovery: the bodies of a 77-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman. Their names have not yet been released by the police, but neighbors say the couple had lived in the historic 1920s home for four decades. The house was a source of pride for the community, having recently undergone a complete renovation.
Neighbors in Shock
The tight-knit community is struggling to make sense of the senseless violence. One neighbor, still visibly shaken, spoke of the couple with affection. "He was older than me because he was telling me stuff about the Yanks that I never knew," the neighbor said. "That was our conversation, the Yankees was always conversation. It sucks, man, to come home to this is like, you know, you hear about this stuff happening in other neighborhoods and you feel for it, but when it happens, like literally right across the street from you dude, it's not cool."
Description of the Suspect
The NYPD is asking the public for help in locating a man described as being between 30 and 40 years old with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a black hat, black jacket, blue jeans, and black sneakers.
