MONTICELLO – A New York City man is in the Sullivan County Jail, accused of setting a fire that led to the line of duty death of a local firefighter.
Mohammed Islam, 32, of Brooklyn was charged by State Police with felony arson and burglary in connection with the Saturday, January 15th fire in an unoccupied summer home located at 65 Rock Ridge Road in the Town of Thompson.
On that day the Forestburgh Fire Department answered a mutual aid request to assist the Monticello Fire Department at the scene. Forestburgh Assistant Fire Chief William “Billy” Steinberg, 37, who responded with the other firefighters, collapsed while working the fire and later died at the hospital.
Steinberg was laid to rest on Saturday, January 22nd.
According to court documents obtained by Mid-Hudson News, Islam was previously arrested by troopers and charged with arson and burglary for a January 10th fire at 419 Thompsonville Road and a January 13th fire at 500 Thompsonville Road in the Town of Thompson.
In those two incidents, the suspect was apparently released under the state’s bail reform law.
In the latest fire, the suspect is being held on $100,000 bail or $150,000 secured bond. He is due back in the Thompson Town Court on February 14.
