Prosecutors have filed misdemeanor charges against the landlord of a reportedly vacant Ohio home where a Christmas Eve fire killed a 4-year-old boy, his mother and a man who was staying with them.
Court records show 72-year-old Sam Vazirani was charged Friday with 20 building code violations for letting people live in a home that the city had said should be vacated.
The Columbus Dispatch reports city prosecutors pursued the charges against Vazirani after Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien chose not to file a felony charge over the deaths.
Investigators believe a space heater ignited a mattress to start the blaze, but O’Brien says they can’t prove it in court.
Vazirani is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 28. A message was left Saturday for his attorney.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
California Braces for Floods as Atmospheric River Threatens 
Chiquita Sees Cheap Bananas at Risk on El Niño Supply Threat 
New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico 
Psychological Reactance: The Hidden Bias in Claims Negotiation 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.