Daughter of NYC carpenter Vetus Roberts, 70, who died in apartment fire calls for arsonist to be ‘held accountable’: ‘They’re going to pay’
An elderly man found dead in a Brooklyn arson blaze was a carpenter who “put family first,” his grieving daughter told The Post.
The NYPD had not publicly named the victim as of Saturday afternoon, but the man’s daughter identified him as Vetus Roberts, 70.
“He was kind. He was a family man. He was loved dearly,” Genaira Roberts, the youngest of the victim’s three children said Saturday. “He put his family first. He would have sacrificed his last [breath] for his family.”
A native of the island of St. Vincent, Roberts had three grandchildren. His other daughter and son still live on the island.
Roberts’ remains were discovered in a bedroom of 371 Monroe St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant at about 11:15 p.m. Friday, and a woman, 65, was taken to Woodhull Hospital with smoke inhalation, police said.
A “shocked” Genaira had chatted with her dad on Wednesday — the last time they spoke.
Authorities have said the fire was intentionally set, and a law enforcement source said a woman, 65, was being questioned in the probe.
Gasoline was found on a bed with a candle, police said. The victim’s neighbor said the 65-year-old woman was caught on her ring camera leaving the apartment.
“Whatever was done to him was wrong and whoever — if it was her or whatever — they’re going to pay for it. Whoever done this needs to be held accountable. That’s all we can say right now,” Roberts said.
Asked if she had a good relationship with the girlfriend, who hails from Trinidad,Roberts flatly said, “No.”
The victim’s stunned family is still trying to make sense of the past 24 hours.
“No arrangements yet. We’re just grieving,” said the daughter, who was notified of the deadly fire by her dad’s neighbors.
Roberts said her father would advise her to “trust in God” to soldier through the tragedy.
The FDNY said the blaze broke out in the victim’s first-floor apartment and was brought under control in about 35 minutes.
Justin Coward, 24, who resides on the third floor was on his PlayStation when his grandmother told him she smelled smoke.
The quick-thinking Coward “ran downstairs” and “boom, boom boom,” started knocking on doors, yelling, “Get out, get out, it’s smoking.”
Approximately 20 people live in the building.
The city medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
The arson death was part of a deadly night in the Big Apple which saw two others killed and five hurt in separate incidents.
