Mom of toddler accused of starting fatal Belmont fire suing agencies for over $1B
The New York Post is reporting that a woman who lived in the Belmont apartment where a devastating fire occurred in 2017 is suing the city.
News 12 Staff
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Jan 13, 2019, 10:47 PM
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Updated 1,928 days ago
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A woman whose son is accused of starting a fatal fire in a Belmont apartment building in 2017 is suing the city.
Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the devastating fire that killed 13 people.
According to the FDNY, the fire was started by Rita Yeboah's 3-year-old son who was playing with stove burners inside the kitchen on the first floor.
The attorney for Rita Yeboah tells News 12 that his client has been vilified in the court of public opinion and that they have filed a lawsuit against a number of parties for more than $1 billion.
The city, Con Edison, Yeboah's landlord and management company were listed in the lawsuit.
In a statement, Yeboah's lawyer said, "The real facts are that they paid the building owner and the management company for a smoke alarm and requested that their decrepit stove be replaced. Had either or both been done, this tragedy never happens."
The lawyer also added that one of the claims in the lawsuit focuses directly on the first-floor apartment door which they say could not automatically shut because of excess paint jobs done by the building.
Many residents say they are outraged Yeboah is suing.
A spokesperson for the city's Law Department said they will review the complaint and respond accordingly
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