1993 — Feb 27, Arson Fire & Mass Murder, Apartment Building, Providence, RI — 6

— 6  Duwe, Grant.  Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007, pp. 124-125.

— 6  Flesher, John (AP). “Nine killed in apartment fire.” Altoona Mirror, PA, 3-1-1993, B5.

— 6  Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO. “Six killed in Rhode Island fire.” 2-28-1993, A4.

 

Narrative Information

 

Feb 28: “Two adults and four children were killed Saturday in a fire that destroyed a three-family residence in Providence, R.I., authorities said.  One man escaped by jumping from a window. He suffered burns, a broken ankle and a back injury…. Neighbors told authorities the dead children ranged in age from 6 to 17. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.”  (Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO. “Six killed in Rhode Island fire.” 2-28-1993, A4.)

 

March 1:  “In Providence, R.I, a tenement fire Saturday that killed a family of six was set by arsonists in retaliation for an earlier hit-and-run accident, Police Chief Bernard Gannon said Sunday. He said two teen-agers were being sought on homicide warrants.  Hours before the fire, an unidentified driver hit a car driven by a friend of the two youths. The two retaliated by pouring gasoline in the hallway of the tenement where they believed the driver lived, ignited it and fled, police said.” (Flesher, John (Associated Press). “Nine killed in apartment fire.” Altoona Mirror, PA, 3-1-1993, B5.)

 

Duwe:  Jose Tapia, 16 and Jose Garcia, 18 were the arsonists.  “The fire killed Carlos Chang, his wife, and four children, who ranged in age from seven to eighteen….Earlier that night, Garcia and Tapia were involved in a fight in which Tapia’s cousin, William Cifredo, suffered serious injuries after he was dragged for nearly 450 feet under a car (The Providence Journal-Bulletin, November 17, 1996; p. 1B).  Vowing to exact revenge against the driver of the car, Jorge Giep, Garcia and Tapia set fire to the apartment building where they thought Giep lived.  It turned out to be the wrong building, however. Convicted of the mass murder, both Garcia and Tapia were sentenced to life in prison.  However, because Tapia expressed remorse for his role in the mass killing, he was granted eligibility for parole in 21 years (The Providence Journal-Bulletin, July 7, 1995; p. 1B.).”

Sources

 

Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007.

 

Flesher, John (Associated Press). “Nine killed in apartment fire.” Altoona Mirror, PA, 3-1-1993, B5. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=73107006&sterm=providence+fire

 

Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, CO. “Six killed in Rhode Island fire.” 2-28-1993, A4. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=188940888&sterm=providence+fire