Waterbury to Crack Down on Unsafe Housing After Fatal Fire
Illegal apartment led to death of a tenant in a fire, prosecutors said
Narinesammy Ramsammy, a Waterbury landlord, has been sentenced after one of his tenants died in a fire. Officials said the victim was living in an illegal apartment.
A news conference will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, about the case of a Waterbury landlord who pleaded guilty in the death of one of his tenants in a fire. During the news conference, the mayor will also announce plans to combat illegal and unsafe housing in the city.
Narinesammy Ramsammy, 33, was running an illegal apartment unit at 80-82-Fox Street in Waterbury, when fire broke out March 16, 2011, according to prosecutors. His tenant, 33-year-old Pedro Claudio, died in the fire. The cause of death was smoke inhalation, according to police.
He lived in the attic and there was only one exit, despite the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code requirement that there be two exits, prosecutors said. There were also no working smoke detectors.
According to the arrest warrant, Ramsammy purchased the house as a two-family unit in 2004, but converted it to a four-family residence without city approval or inspections.
Ramsammy plead guilty to manslaughter under the Alford Doctrine, meaning he doesn't admit to doing anything wrong, but concedes the state has enough evidence to convict him.
He was sentenced to 30 months in jail.
This case is historical, according to police, because it is the first time in Connecticut and one of the first times in the country that a landlord has been convicted of manslaughter for the death of tenant in an illegal apartment fire.
During the 1 p.m. news conference, Mayor Neil O’Leary will be announcing a plan to combat illegal and unsafe housing in the city, including increasing public awareness of the dangers of illegal apartments and increased accountability for landlords who do not obey the law.
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