Angel Rivera, 51, of Yonkers, to serve 12 years in state prison for setting an apartment on fire in 2021. Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah announced the sentence today.
The incident occurred on June 7, 2021, at approximately 1:56 a.m. Rivera approached a residential building on Elm Street in Yonkers. He then ignited an object, and threw it into an open window of a ground floor apartment. The resulting fire rendered the apartment uninhabitable. Fortunately, a good Samaritan kicked in the door and rescued the sleeping resident before the Yonkers Fire Department extinguished the flames. Nearby surveillance cameras caught the entire act.
The Yonkers Police Department’s Major Case Squad investigated the incident, using the surveillance footage to identify Rivera as the suspect. Police issued a wanted flyer, and arrested Rivera two days later, just two blocks from the scene. Upon his arrest, Rivera admitted to intending to blow up the building.
A speedy trial
Rivera’s two-week long trial concluded on April 12. A jury convicted him of Arson in the Second Degree and Arson in the Third Degree, both felonies. The jury took only 30 minutes to reach their verdict.
In addition to his prison sentence, Rivera will serve five years of post-release supervision. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mathieu Reno and presided over by Judge Robert Prisco in Westchester County Court.
“This deliberate act of destruction put residents in harm’s way and displaced a victim from his home,” stated DA Rocah. “The defendant will now be held accountable for his senseless actions.”
