The death toll in the massive massive blaze that engulfed a multi-family home in Worcester early Saturday morning has risen to four
A former tenant charged with setting a 2022 fire that killed four people at an apartment building in Worcester, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four life sentences with parole eligibility after 20 years.
Yvonne Ngoiri, 39, with a last known address of Worcester, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder, two counts of arson of a dwelling, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, the Worcester District Attorney's Office said Monday.
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREIn addition to the four life sentences, Ngoiri was sentenced to 18-20 years for the arson charges, 14-15 years for the one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and 9-10 years for the two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. All of those sentences will be served concurrently.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox with our News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP “We hope this result brings a measure of justice to the four families who lost a loved one, the three people who were injured, and the many others who lost their homes and belongings in this tragic fire,” Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early said in a statement.
The four people killed in the early-morning fire in a triple-decker home on Gage Street on May 14, 2022 were identified as 47-year-old Joseph Garchali, 53-year-old Christopher Lozeau, 41-year-old Vincent Page and 29-year-old Marcel Fontaine. The cause of their deaths involved smoke inhalation and heat injuries.
During the fire, one resident jumped from a window to escape the flames and was seriously injured. Two others were also hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
The fire also damaged a nearby building on Eastern Avenue.
Investigators ultimately determined that the fire started in an area near the rear of the Gage Street bulilding and that it was intentionally set. Ngoiri was a former resident of the building and has been in custody since her arrest on Sept. 29, 2022.
