Background: The garage in Queens where Edward Jacobs was killed in a fire last month (WABC/YouTube). Inset: Edward Jacobs (Coppola-Migliore Funeral Chapel).
A woman in New York City is behind bars for allegedly sparking a “raging inferno” that trapped and killed her ex-boyfriend inside of a garage last month, along with a female friend who tried saving him, according to prosecutors.
Edward Jacobs — a 35-year-old father of three who leaves behind 11-year-old twin boys and another 9-year-old boy — was asleep on the second floor of the two-story garage when his ex-girlfriend, Aliya Fakhri, 43, “deliberately” started a fire near its entrance on Nov. 2, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Jacobs’ mother, Janet, told the New York Post that her son broke up with Fakhri about a year ago and was still trying to get back together with him.
“Like any other person that is being rejected, he was letting her know like ‘Yo, I’m done with you. Get away from me,”” Janet said. “He’s been trying to tell her to leave him alone for the past year, but she wasn’t accepting the rejection. They broke up a year ago.”
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Jacobs was reportedly working on a construction project at a Queens property that involved converting its garage into an apartment when the fire started. His friend, Anastasia Ettienne, 33, was also at the residence, with their relationship being described as platonic by Jacobs’ mom, according to the Post.
Prosecutors say Fakhri showed up on Nov. 2 at around 6:20 a.m. and yelled from outside, “you’re all going to die today,” before engulfing the garage in flames.
“A witness who was inside the [adjacent] property came downstairs and discovered that the building was on fire,” according to prosecutors. “Ettienne was alerted to the fire and went downstairs briefly. The woman then returned upstairs in an attempt to save Jacobs, who was sleeping. The building became engulfed with flames and neither Jacobs nor Ettienne could escape.”
An investigation by New York’s Department of Buildings and FDNY fire marshals later led to Fakhri being indicted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and arson. She was arraigned on Nov. 27 and remanded, with her next court appearance being scheduled for Dec. 9, according to prosecutors.
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Fakhri will face a maximum sentence of life in prison, if convicted.
“This defendant maliciously ended the lives of two people by setting a fire that trapped a man and woman in a raging inferno,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement. “The victims tragically died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Our condolences are with families of Edward Jacobs and Anastasia Ettienne as we prosecute this case.”
An online obituary for Jacobs describes him as “a man who lived boldly” and “loved deeply,” per the description.
“He was passionate about his work in plumbing, and he had an incredible gift for lighting up any room he entered,” the obituary says. Attempts to reach his family for comment were unsuccessful Sunday.
