A Buffalo man has been charged in the Lackawanna fire that seriously injured a family and endangered three other families.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office says Corey Green, 20, was arraigned Tuesday before Erie County Court Judge Michael Pietruszka. Green is charged with four counts of arson in the first degree.
Authorities allege that back in April 2017, Green deliberately set a fire in the back entranceway of an apartment building at 97 Ingham Avenue in Lackawanna, putting four families, including a dozen children, in harm’s way. The flames trapped the Soliman family in their rear upper apartment.
Two of the three young children were seriously injured in the fire. Zainab, 4, suffered from smoke inhalation and a partially collapsed lung. Zaid, 3, had third-degree burns and was sent to Strong Memorial Hospital, where he received skin grafts.
Their parents were also seriously injured.
"The father is still in a wheelchair. He suffered a tremendous break to his foot, fractured his spine, has serious neck and back injuries," said Flynn. "The mother was found unconscious in the apartment. They had to resuscitate her down below. The boy had to have skin grafts done to his upper body and lower body. The four-year-old daughter, glass cut her face."
Flynn said the father grabbed his four-year-old daughter and jumped out the window of his second-floor apartment to escape the flames. The only family member who was not injured was a six-month-old child the mother threw out the window to safety. A neighbor caught the child.
Green pleaded not guilty and was remanded to jail without bail. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.