A couple has been found dead after a suspicious fire ripped through their home as the suspect remains at large.
An unidentified man, aged 77, was discovered chained to a pole in the basement of his residence on Monday, while his wife, aged 78, was found on the first floor, as reported by ABC 7.
Authorities have launched a manhunt for the male suspect, believed to have entered the $790,000 home at 87-86 254th Street in Bellerose, Queens, on Monday afternoon and ignited a fire.
The couple’s son, an alleged paramedic for the New York City fire department, was reportedly off-duty during the incident, according to the New York Post.
Surveillance footage, released by the NYPD, showed a man carrying what appeared to be a duffle bag close to the house around 3:30pm.
The man allegedly entered the home around 10:15am after the male homeowner let him through the backdoor, The New York Times reported.
He was then seen leaving hours later, roughly 14 minutes before the fire alarms went off.
The suspect had previously attempted to get inside another home, but was turned away, sources said.
An unidentified man, aged 77, was reportedly found shackled to a pole in the basement of his $790,000 home on Monday after a fire ravaged the premises. His wife, aged 78, was also deceased in the residence.
The police have initiated a manhunt for the male suspect (pictured), suspected of having entered 87-86 254th Street in Bellerose, Queens, on Monday afternoon and setting it ablaze.
Police said the man is between 30 and 40 years old, is of medium build, and was last seen wearing a black hat, jacket, and sneakers, and blue jeans.
Officials are treating the fire as a homicide investigation, with the blaze being classified as ‘incendiary,’ according to the FDNY. It remains uncertain if the suspect was acquainted with the couple or what his motives might have been.
The fire was put out with in an hour, officials said. And sources told Pix 11 that the woman was allegedly set on fire.
Neighbors said the couple has lived in the home for at least 40 years and raised their family there.
They took great care of their home, neighbors told ABC 7.
‘The nicest neighbors you can ever ask for,’ John Ruiz, a neighbor, said. ‘He would always wave to us. Just this past weekend, he waved to us. And, you know, it’s sad.’
Greg Roslonoski gave police his doorbell footage, which did not end up capturing the fire.
‘You can tell that there was more to it than just the fire they were looking for,’ Roslonoski said. ‘Looking at the flame, there had to be something that made it happen that fast.’
Authorities are investigating the fire as a homicide and the blaze has been ruled suspicious
Pictured: Burnt remains of the home. It is unclear if the man knew the couple or what his motive was
The fire was put out with in an hour, officials said. And sources told Pix 11 that the woman was allegedly set on fire
Sarah Roslonowski, 27, who lives opposite to the couple, said the couple had always had a big presence in the neighborhood and watched out for the kids while they played.
She recalled a time in May where the couple had grown concerned after brought an injured baby bird to their door to ask if it had fallen from a nest on their property.
‘They went into the backyard to check for a nest,’ she told The Times. ‘They were really kind about it.’
Murder is up in the Big Apple 400 percent week-to-date, which five deaths happening this week, compared to one in 2024. Year-to-date it is down nearly 20 percent.
Total violent crime is also down 4.5 percent compared to 2024, NYPD data showed.
Daily Mail has contacted the NYPD for further comment.
