Man Found Dead in Basement Fire, 54-Year-Old Questioned

Firefighters are responding to a report of a basement fire.

Citizen users show first responders at the scene.

Additional police units are being requested to the scene.

Police now confirm a fatal assault occurred at the scene and are looking for one suspect. The incident was initially reported as a basement fire.

Additional units are no longer needed for the suspect search.

Firefighters initially responded to a report of a basement fire, but discovered a person fatally injured from an assault. There was no fire at the scene.

MONDAY, 2:06 PM: Police and firefighters responded to a report of a basement fire on the 400 block of Jefferson Avenue. FDNY personnel quickly reached the scene and began to extinguish the fire while officers arrived. Once the flames were extinguished, an unconscious and unresponsive man with severe burns was found in the basement; he was subsequently pronounced dead. Police say that a 54-year-old man was taken into custody for questioning. The victim’s cause of death has yet to be determined, and the investigation is ongoing.