You are reading

Arsonist Who Set Fire to His Ex-Girlfriend’s Corona Apartment Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison

An arsonist who set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment in Lefrak City in Corona, pictured, and started a blaze at a Jamaica hotel was sentenced to nearly a decade in prison Thursday. (Photos: iStock and Wikipedia)

April 28, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

An arsonist who set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s Corona apartment and started a blaze at a Jamaica hotel was sentenced to nearly a decade in prison Thursday.

Troy Phillip, 28, from South Ozone Park, was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty last month to attempted arson for the incidents which took place in 2021 and 2020, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Phillip, according to the charges, started a fire at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment in Lefrak City after midday on July 24, 2021.

When his ex returned to the apartment at around 12:30 p.m., she found the entrance engulfed in flames. Her daughter and mother were inside the apartment at the time but neither of them suffered any injuries, prosecutors said.

It is unclear how the pair escaped the flames.

The LeFrak City fire came about 18 months after Phillip set fire to a hallway inside the Hillside Hotel, located at 140-17 Queens Blvd.

Video surveillance captured on Jan. 28, 2020, shows Philip walking onto the second floor from a stairwell and then throwing an object that was on fire onto the hallway floor.

The FDNY, prosecutors said, recovered a number of empty bottles of rubbing alcohol and a match from the scene. It is not known what prompted Phillip to start each fire.

When police arrested Phillip on Aug. 17, 2021 for the crimes, he was carrying a .22mm pistol along with 16 rounds of ammunition

Phillip also pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and burglary in the third degree. It is unclear what the burglary charges pertain to.

He was sentenced to five years post-release supervision in addition to his 8 1/2 year sentence.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
paul

Thes serious crimes should have a range of sentences, assuming the DA has a strong case. In this case it should be 8-20 yrs. If he is a model prisoner and signs of reform he should be let out in eight yrs., if not kept longer until he reaches app. age 45 when criminals tend to reform since they are too old to commit violent crime. Supervised parole is spotty since there are so many ex criminals walking the street and they can escape been watched.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca, legendary St. John’s basketball coach, dies at 99

The St. John’s University community will gather to mourn legendary basketball coach Lou Carnesecca on the Hillcrest campus he loved with all of his heart Friday morning for his Funeral Mass at St. Thomas More Church, where he will be remembered not just for building a dynamic program, but for the way he did it. The beloved coach died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, Nov. 30, at age 99 and just five weeks shy of his 100th birthday.

“Throughout his long life, Coach Carnesecca represented St. John’s with savvy, humility, smarts, tenacity, wit, integrity and grace,” SJU President Rev. Brian Shanley said. “He was the public face of our University, and he embodied the values of our Catholic and Vincentian mission. We thank God for his legacy.”

Forest Hills homeowners group threatens legal action against NYPD amid ongoing Forest Hills Stadium concert dispute

Dec. 4, 2024 By Shane O’Brien

The operators of Forest Hills Stadium have accused the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation (FHGC), a neighboring homeowners association, of “sidestepping” the courts and trying to “bully” the NYPD. The accusation follows a letter from FHGC to the NYPD threatening legal action if police continue to issue permits for the stadium’s 2025 concert season.