Police say they have identified a man who groped an EMT at the scene of a three-alarm fire in the Bronx Thursday morning. 

Firefighters arrived around 6:15 a.m. and battled the flames that left seven businesses in shambles. It took 140 firefighters to contain the fire. 

In the middle of the chaos, an assault happened to a 32-year-old first responder. 

The woman stepped in to help a man who collapsed and appeared to be in cardiac arrest. That’s when police say 52-year-old Aaron Cervantes groped her -- before a co-worker rushed to her rescue.

Cervantes is facing sexual abuse and forcible touching charges, while the EMT recovers alongside her family. 

In response to the assault, Council Member Fernando Cabrera says he’s introducing new legislation that would increase the penalties for sexually assaulting a first responder. 

The president of the EMS Union is calling Cervantes a miscreant who should stay behind bars.

Muflah Assadi, who has owned a candy store along the avenue for 25 years, says he hopes his business can recover.

"I never thought this would happen," says Assadi. “Not like this."

No one was injured in the fire.