Bollywood actress Nargis Fakhris sister Aliya Fakhri has been arrested in the United States for allegedly killing her ex-boyfriend and the latters female friend, media reports said.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Aliya Fakhri has been indicted on murder in the first degree and related charges for deliberately setting a deadly fire in the detached garage of a home in Jamaica killing her boyfriend, 35-year-old Edward Jacobs, and 33-year-old Anastasia Ettienne.
Fakhri allegedly set the fire near the entrance of the building, trapping the two inside with no exit.
District Attorney Katz said, As alleged in this indictment, this defendant maliciously ended the lives of two people by setting a fire that trapped a man and woman in a raging inferno.
The victims tragically died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Our condolences are with the families of Edward Jacobs and Anastasia Ettienne as we prosecute this case.
Aliya, 43, of Parsons Boulevard in Queens, was indicted by a grand jury for four counts of murder in the first degree, four counts of murder in the second degree and one count each of arson in the first degree and arson in the second degree.
Supreme Court Justice John Zoll has arraigned the defendant and remanded her. She faces a potential maximum of life in prison if convicted of the top charge. Aliya must return to court on December 9.
According to the charges and investigation, on November 2, Aliya arrived at the front door of a two-story detached garage at around 6:20 a.m. and yelled upstairs to 35-year-old victim Edward Jacobs, Youre all going to die today.
Soon after, a witness who was inside the property came downstairs and discovered that the building was on fire. Ettienne was alerted to the fire and went downstairs briefly.
The woman then returned upstairs in an attempt to save Jacobs, who was sleeping. The building became engulfed with flames and neither Jacobs nor Ettienne could escape.
Both Jacobs and Ettienne later died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.
Responding to the allegations, Aliyas mother said as quoted by Republic World, I dont think she would be killing someone. She was a person who was caring for everybody. She tried to help everybody.
Jacobs mother Janet, as per reports, said that her son had broken up with Aliya a year ago but the latter had been trying to reunite.
