New York City police are searching for a man accused of killing an elderly couple in Queens by stabbing them and setting their home on fire Monday, according to investigators.
The victims, a 77-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman, died after the suspect spent roughly five hours inside their house, sources told ABC News. Surveillance footage shows him knocking at their back door around 10:15 a.m., where the male victim let him inside. (RELATED: Teen Suspect Arrested For Allegedly Setting Wisconsin Congressional Office On Fire Over TikTok Ban)
Before approaching the couple’s home, the suspect had gone door to door in the neighborhood asking to charge a phone. At least one resident refused before he moved on, sources said. Detectives believe he searched the home for valuables before lighting it on fire. Video captured him leaving at 3:08 p.m., minutes before flames overtook the house.
🚨 WANTED FOR A HOMICIDE: On Monday, September 8, 2025, at approximately 3:21 P.M., the victims, a 77-year-old male and a 78-year-old female, in the vicinity of 87th Drive and 254th street, when an unidentified male entered a residential building and set the residence on fire. pic.twitter.com/zTUFqnRbfM
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) September 9, 2025
The victims’ son, an off-duty New York City Fire Department paramedic, found his parents’ bodies after neighbors reported the blaze. Investigators said the woman was discovered on the first floor with accelerant poured on her body, sparking the fire. The man was found in the basement, bound to a support column with bungee cords. Flames had been set to his body but burned out, sources said.
Police believe they have identified the suspect, who has a lengthy criminal record and was released from prison in 2023, sources told the outlet. The investigation is ongoing as authorities search for him. No arrests have been made.