Police identify suspect in Miami building fire

Shortly before an apartment complex in Miami was engulfed in what the mayor described as the city’s worst fire in 25 years on Monday morning, residents of the building heard loud noises that sounded like gunshots.

An affidavit released Tuesday said that after hearing the noises around 8 a.m., a resident found an employee of the four-story building’s management company on the first floor, shot in the stomach. The employee told him in Spanish that he had been shot by the resident of Unit 307, the witness later told police. The victim also said he saw an explosion after the shooting.

That information helped officers track down and arrest a man who allegedly shot the management company employee and intentionally set fire to the Temple Court Apartments complex near downtown Miami. On Tuesday, police identified the suspect, who was arrested Monday afternoon, as Juan Francisco Figueroa.

Mr. Figueroa, 73, was charged with attempted murder with a firearm, first-degree arson and displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony, the affidavit said. Mr. Figueroa was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The police department said he was convicted of second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault in 1992.

The affidavit identifies the victim as Feder Biotte. He was hospitalized in critical condition on Monday.

Authorities have not provided any information about what events may have led to the shooting or In particular, how they believe the devastating fire was started.

The Level 3 fire spread rapidly throughout the 57-unit apartment complex, requiring the emergency evacuation of 43 people, many of them elderly. Several people were rescued from the balconies of the apartments.

The fire brigade needed around eight hours to extinguish the flames. One resident and three firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and had to be taken to hospital. It is unclear whether the building, which is over a hundred years old and badly damaged, can still be saved.

Dozens of residents spent the night in temporary housing. City officials said property management plans to house the homeless tenants in a hotel for two weeks starting Tuesday night.

Shortly after hearing the loud noises Monday morning, a second witness told police he saw Mr. Figueroa run past the building and out of the building, a second affidavit said. Officers identified Mr. Figueroa’s car as a maroon Honda Accord.

By early afternoon, they had tracked down the car and began surveillance. Some time later, Mr. Figueroa arrived on foot and got into the car. Police followed him, conducted a traffic stop and arrested him shortly before 4 p.m., according to the second affidavit.

Police found a .38 Special revolver with five cartridges in his right pocket and another three cartridges in his left pocket, the affidavit states.

“Mr. Figueroa stated that he knew what he had done and expected to spend the rest of his life in prison,” the affidavit states.