The fire that led to the building collapse that killed Philadelphia Fire Lt. Sean Williamson in North Philadelphia on June 18 was intentionally set and federal officials have charged the owner with arson, the U.S. Attorney said Tuesday.
Al-Ashraf Basem Khalil, 28, of Philadelphia, was captured in the country of Jordan and brought back to the United States Tuesday, where agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested him.
"On June 20, 2022, ATF agents interviewed the defendant, the owner of the property, as part of their federal investigation into the origin and cause of the fire," the U.S. Attorney's office said in an release Tuesday. "The following day on June 21, 2022, Khalil again met with investigators at their request, and later that day booked a flight from JFK airport (in New York City) to Amman, Jordan with a layover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On June 22, 2022, the defendant left the United States on that flight."
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Khalil faces three federal charges: one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce resulting in death, one count of aiding and abetting and willfully causing the same, and one count of making materially false or fraudulent statements. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison or the death penalty, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
An attorney for Khalil told NBC10 in a statement that the shop owner "had no role in starting the fire."
"Mr Khalil had no role in starting the fire of his property and is in awe of the courage of the fireman involved and especially the sacrifice of Lt. Sean Williamson," defense attorney R. Emmett Madden said. "He gives his condolences to the (lieutenant) and his family during this difficult time. He has and will continue assisting fully in this ongoing investigation."
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Williamson and five other people had to be pulled from the rubble when the building collapsed following the fire hours earlier at the same location on the 300 block of West Indiana Avenue in the Fairhill neighborhood. Rescue efforts lasted hours.
Williamson, 51, was laid to rest Monday during a funeral Mass attended by hundreds of people. The lieutenant was a 27-year Philadelphia Fire Department veteran. He most recently worked at Ladder 18 in the Hunting Park neighborhood. He had one son, the city said.
Four other firefighters and a Licensing and Inspections Department inspector were also trapped, but rescued, Philadelphia Fire Department 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said. The five were transported to Temple University hospital.
They were identified as:
- Lt. Sylvester Burton, Fire Marshal
- Lt. Clarence Johnson
- Firefighter Dennis Daly
- Firefighter Robert Brennan, Jr.
- Thomas Rybakowski, Supervisor, Emergency Services Unit, L&I
Neighbors told NBC10 the three-story structure had a pizza shop on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floors.
According to federal officials, "voluminous video surveillance recovered by investigators showed two suspects – minutes before the fire began in the early morning hours of June 18 – walk behind a dumpster and enter the basement doors of the property at 300 W. Indiana Avenue. The video surveillance further shows the two suspects leave the location about twenty minutes later, shortly after which smoke can be observed that gradually grows thicker emanating from the area of building."
Khalil allegedly fit the description of one of those suspects caught on the video surveillance, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
“Whenever there is a fire in our city, the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department put their lives on the line to protect us. Intentionally causing a fire and deliberately putting firefighters and innocent victims in harm’s way is truly unconscionable,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said Tuesday. “We are grateful to all of the investigators on this case who moved rapidly to determine the origins of the fire, identify a suspect, and return him to U.S. soil so he can answer these charges before the court. And while we mourn the loss of Lt. Williamson, we are grateful for his life and his service to our city, and hope that by seeking justice in this case we honor his memory.”
