A man behind bars on attempted murder and arson charges is accused of lighting another man on fire in the stairwell of a New York City public housing building.
Police say a 911 call alerted officers to the victim at the Samuel Gompers Houses on Pitt Street around 5 p.m. Friday. The unidentified victim had severe burns across his torso and lower body, according to the NYPD.
The man was transported to Cornell Medical Center in critical condition.
Police arrested the 27-year-old Lower East Side man and resident of the NYCHA development accused of setting the victim ablaze by 11 p.m. that same day.
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The Daily News reports the tenant lit the man's pant leg on fire in an attempt to "scare" him into stop sleeping in the hallway, according to police sources.
Police say the suspect faces assault charges in addition to arson and attempted murder.
