Posted on 12/27/2004 12:30:35 AM PST by kattracks
A "heroic" security guard suffered an excruciating death, being burned alive in an elevator on Christmas while trying to prevent an arson fire from spreading throughout a Queens apartment building.The blaze inside a garbage cart that killed 32-year-old Raymond James was set by two 13-year-old boys, whom police charged with murder yesterday.
[snip]
Chief Fire Marshal Louis Garcia called James "a selfless, heroic individual who was trying to save lives of people in the building."
[snip]
At the same time, two boys who live in the building — 13-year-old cousins — were walking around setting fire to Christmas decorations on the doors of residents' apartments, authorities said.
[snip]
When James pulled the burning garbage bin into the elevator, and the doors closed, leaving him and the bin inside, the fire swelled, and spilled over onto him, totally immersing his body in flames, authorities said.
[snip]
The two boys — identified by the city as Derrick H. and Curtis H. — were arrested yesterday and charged with arson and second-degree murder in James' death. It is expected that the boys will appear in Family Court today.
"They're good kids," insisted one of about a dozen upset relatives and friends of the boys who watched them being transferred from the 101st Precinct stationhouse yesterday afternoon. "It was an accident. Bad things happen. They aren't murderers. They don't run around with guns."
[snip]
James' wife said he had been trying to get a job in Manhattan because he disliked working in the Rockaway building.
"He was not happy in that environment. It's a violent area. The people had no respect for authority, and he was threatened once," said Laverne James, who immigrated to the U.S. 16 months ago with her husband
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Good kids... sure.
Idiots. They run around with matches... and set fires that could have killed every person in that apartment building!
Oh yea ... they don't have guns .. but instead go around setting things and buildings on fire cause they are such great kids .... / sarcasm >
I can't see an apartment building as a good place to be raising 13 year old boys. Parents who decide to have their kids growing up in an apartment building had better do something to make sure they're involved in enough activities --- it sounds like these kids might have been bored and came up with a stupid prank.
L
Bump for later.
A prank is pulling the fire alarm- and while that's dangerous it's certainly not the equivalent of setting fires on unsuspecting people's property. Even a thirteen year old kid knows fire can spread, and knows it hurts to get burned. This isn't even the equivalent of the rank old-time prank of putting a bag of debris from an outhouse on a doorstep - away from anything flammable- and setting it alight while ringing the doorbell. At least in that kind of prank the victim stands a chance of hearing the bell- the object of the prank was to see the annoyed victim come out and stomp on the fire and discover he was stomping crap. The prank wasn't intended to damage property and certainly wasn't intended to make someone afraid, angry, or do them harm.
What was the object of this "prank" if we're to believe that's all it was? Evidently it wasn't intended to be harmless fun at all- what's so fun about destroying the property or the work of other people and endangering their lives? Their intent was specifically to do harm. If it weren't, the kids would have been around to see the target's reaction for the laughs, and if it were truly good natured they would have been there to clean up any mess. They would have been nearby and would have seen that things went wrong and at least try to get the victim out or get help. So their intent wasn't prankish- it was to vandalize, and vandalism is to make others insecure and to sow fear, the intent to do damage to hurt people either through destruction or worse.
"They're good kids," insisted one of about a dozen upset relatives and friends of the boys who watched them being transferred from the 101st Precinct stationhouse yesterday afternoon. "It was an accident. Bad things happen. They aren't murderers. They don't run around with guns."
This was no accident. If they had been trying to light a holiday candle and it tipped over onto the rug, setting an apartment on fire, or if they had improperly wired a tree- now THAT would be an "accident."
A pity it wasn't them in the elevator sucking up flames and smoke because of their dirty deed instead of an innocent man. They're getting an enormous break - at the worst they still get to live- they won't ever have to experience what it is like to be burned while alive and converted to human charcoal and burned flesh and grease.
These two were INTENTIONALLY setting fires, not inside their own apartment by "accident" but by deliberately seeking out property belonging to other people to destroy and not caring one whit about the consequences. They either hung around and watched or carelessly walked away not even caring enough to see the results. They knew it could do damage or spread at least somewhat - they knew enough not to play with fire in their own rooms where they could burn themselves... or carbonize their own toys and decorations.
They carried out the horrific slaughter of a fellow human being- one who ironically was there for their benefit and well-being- and accomplished the grisly task without firing a shot. But for this man they could have murdered many more.
And their idiotic family thinks that if the killing wasn't done with a gun that it can't be evil, that inanimate objects are evil but not their spoiled brats.
Left alone these two would probably join the ranks of those who get their urban entertainment by setting fire to dumpsters as bait to draw in the fire department so they can shoot at firemen.
"...good kids..."
Uh, no...I don't think so.
"They're good kids," insisted one of about a dozen upset relatives and friends of the boys who watched them being transferred from the 101st Precinct stationhouse yesterday afternoon. "It was an accident. Bad things happen. They aren't murderers. They don't run around with guns."
I wonder how many people lived in that building. Dozens or hundreds could have died at the hands of these "good kids."
I feel so awful for that guy who died, and his family. So senseless.
"It was an accident. Bad things happen. They aren't murderers. They don't run around with guns."
They are murderers and guns have nothing to do with it.
I hate arsonists...the worst kind of terrorism IMHO.
We have reached a point in America where we determine the "worth" of individuals by the extent of evil they don't do.
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