Spring Valley, New York: A father and child who was charged with a deadly fire in a New York-assisted living facility in the outskirts of the city had carried out pre-Easter cleaning rituals involving the heating of kitchen equipment to burn traces of prohibited food, news journal reported.
It is still unclear what the special role of Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer from Monsey and his son, Harun Sommer, allegedly played in a March 23 fire at Evergreen Court’s house for adults in the spring valley that killed a resident of firefighters, newspapers reported.
Sommers was charged on Tuesday on charges of murder, assault and burning with respect to fire and returned in the court Friday.
Information about their lawyers is not available.
Volunteer Firefighter Jared Lloyd and 79-year-old residents of the facility were killed in the fire, which caused some collapse of the building.
Note shows that the green court fire was reported about 90 minutes after Nathaniel and Aaron Sommer had left the facility after preparing a kitchen for Easter, the news journal reported.
Tight Jews refrain from eating anything with yeast during Easter holidays eight days.
Preparing the kitchen for Easter involves taking off traces of bread or other foods that contain yeast substances, including subject to high heat equipment.
Evergreen officials said after the fire that Nathaniel Sommer had carried out cleaning rituals at the facility for 15 years.
Sommers is among six people charged with respect to fire.
Two other men who prosecutors said working in the city building department were charged with filing documents and falsifying business records, while a woman who worked in the facility faced allegations of concessions from the hazardous danger and another man faced allegations of criminal imitation of a mild violation.
Fatal Assisted Living Fire Related to Ritual Cleaning: Report
