Cruz
GOSHEN – A Peekskill man faces up to 25 years in state prison when sentenced next month on a felony arson charge for setting his 435 Broadway, Newburgh bodega on fire with gasoline.
Prosecutors argued that Jesus Cruz, 44, was angry when fire inspectors had ordered electricity be turned off to the building because of unsafe conditions. A witness testified at trial that she saw Cruz leave the store late on September 22, 2017 immediately before seeing an explosion and flames shooting out of the building.
At the trial prosecutors said Cruz was facing severe financial troubles and had recently taken out a new fire insurance policy.
Cruz had a tenant living above the bodega and prosecutors argued Cruz started the fire evincing a depraved indifference to human life and recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death to the tenant.
