Cops were called and five police vehicles arrived on the scene, but Johnson said the man had already left.
Johnson, 41, was at work when the fight occurred, but his 29-year-old cousin, Khalid Boston, was in the apartment and heard the argument, which he said included life threats. Boston told his cousin that many of the woman’s belongings were thrown out the window and scattered around the second-floor hallway.
Neighbors speculated that around 3 p.m. on Monday, the man returned to the building to set his girlfriend’s apartment on fire. According to Johnson, the woman had lived there for about a year and a half and the man often stayed with her. He said there hadn’t been any previous domestic disputes.
Boston was sleeping when the fire broke out and awoke when firefighters broke down the apartment door and grabbed him, Johnson said.
Lynette Hernandez, who lived on the third floor and called police when she heard the fighting, escaped the blaze with her son, Mason, roommate, Merriam Osuna, four pet birds and a pit bull.
She was sure her cockatiels were dead, and was surprised when firefighters brought them out alive and well. She rushed to hug and kiss them and then ran into a bodega on the corner of 96th Street to keep them warm.
All other tenants were safely evacuated. They were allowed back into their apartments briefly to retrieve their belongings. The building was heavily damaged — “It was not livable,” Johnson said, noting that the inside of his apartment was visible from outside.
While Johnson and Boston stayed with relatives Monday night, they said they planned to seek assistance and relocation from the Red Cross.
When asked what he would say to the alleged arsonist if he got the chance, Johnson simply said, “I have no words. I have no words for him right now.” He continued: “I’m still in a state of shock. I don’t know what I might do or say to him.”
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