Breaking news on the Greenpoint Terminal Market fire investigation:
Police arrested a homeless man on Wednesday in an alleged arson that destroyed a historic waterfront complex in Brooklyn, investigators told NewsChannel 4's Jonathan Dienst. Kuczera Leszek, 59, was being held on arson, burglary and other charges. The suspect allegedly started the fire while trying to burn off insulation from copper cable he planned to steal and sell as scrap, police said.Not exactly. Curbed has learned the homeless man planned to use the copper as accent marks on a three-unit luxury condo development he was co-developing in East Williamsburg. Regardless, for the moment anyway, Josh Guttman breathes a little easier.
· Homeless Man Arrested in Massive Fire [MSNBC]
· Greenpoint Burning: Charting the Destruction [Curbed] UPDATE: Guttman isn't getting off just yet. He and his son have been charged with 434 counts of "failure to maintain privately owned waterfront property," each a misdemeanor, and carrying the possibility of more than $2 million in fines?or you know, the price of a really nice waterfront apartment. [NY1]