Arson Unit Investigates After Couple Narrowly Escapes House Fire In Ronkonkoma
RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A house was set ablaze, and three cars were destroyed, in a predawn fire in Ronkonkoma, Long Island Thursday morning, and police hours later were looking into a possible arson.
Meanwhile, as CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported, the homeowner struggled to understand who would target him in such a vicious way.
Sound asleep at around 5:30 a.m., a Ronkonkoma couple was startled by a neighbor banging on their front door. They awoke to find their house on Richmond Boulevard on fire.
"We were shocked," said homeowner Billy Laubenheimer. "We look outside, and the house and the car was on fire -- then both cars on fire."
Laubenheimer said he grabbed his dog and girlfriend and escaped as flames closed in. Neighbors took them in as fire consumed their van, two cars and much of their house.
"I was just so scared. I was trembling," said neighbor Diane Bolson. "I tried to call police, and when I got down, I saw they were here already."
Suspicions of arson aroused from evidence police collected near the burned-out vehicles.
"We did recover two containers at the scene, and we are currently analyzing those containers to determine if they contain flammables," said Suffolk County police Deputy Commissioner Tim Sini.
Witnesses also said can with a flammable liquid was found in the driveway.
Laubenheimer, who works as a contractor, was asking hours later who would have targeted his cars and home.
"I don't know why somebody would do this to somebody, you know? It doesn't make any sense," he said. "I don't know how people sleep at night."
Laubenheimer said his life is now left in ruin, as his auto insurance does not cover fire, and his van and tools have been destroyed.
"Somebody comes and does this to you, and then you're stuck without a vehicle; a place to live, and you know, you pay for insurance for a reason," he said.
But Laubenheimer and his girlfriend were indebted to their neighbors.
"I called 911, and my husband go knock door two times, because the people is asleep," said Irma Vasquez.
"I'm definitely grateful," Laubenhemier's girlfriend said. "(If not for what he did?) I don't want to think about that."
The police arson squad late Thursday was in preliminary stages of an investigation. They had not formally determined if the fire was a crime.
Police said the investigation is very active, since people could have died in the fire. If the case is deemed to be arson, it could also turn into a case of attempted murder, Gusoff reported.
No one was injured in the fire. The house was left uninhabitable.
