|
Waterbury Landlord Convicted of Manslaughter in Death of Tenant in Illegal Unit
Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane and Waterbury State's Attorney Maureen Platt announced today that a Waterbury landlord faces 2 1/2 years in prison following his conviction on a manslaughter charge in the death of a tenant in an illegal apartment unit.
NARINESAMMY RAMSAMMY, age 33, pled guilty under the Alford Doctrine in Waterbury Superior Court on June 22, 2012, before the Honorable Richard A. Damiani to one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Violation of the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code for lack of the required two exits from the attic apartment unit.
By plea agreement, Mr. Ramsammy will be sentenced on October 12, 2012, to eight years incarceration, suspended after 2 1/2 years, followed by three years probation and such special conditions as set by the court.
Chief State's Attorney Kane and State's Attorney Platt praised the work of Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Judith R. Dicine, who prosecuted the case, and the Waterbury Police Department and Waterbury Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, which investigated the fire assisted by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, smoke and flames were reported coming from the roof of 80-82 Fox Street, Waterbury, at 3:29 a.m. on March 16, 2011. Waterbury Police and Fire Departments made entry and discovered an unresponsive male, later identified as Pedro Claudio, age 33, on the floor face down. Mr. Claudio was brought to Waterbury Hospital in cardiac arrest and shortly after pronounced dead. The Chief Medical Examiner later certified the cause of death as smoke inhalation.
Investigators later discovered that 80-82 Fox Street was purchased by Mr. Ramsammy in 2004 as a two-family residence, and was illegally converted by him into a four-family residence without city approval or inspections.
The arrest warrant affidavit states that Ramsammy converted the first floor apartment into two units and added a new unit on the third floor in an existing attic, which had only one exit through an interior stair to the second floor.
The Connecticut State Fire Safety Code requires two separate exits in each apartment unit in an apartment occupancy containing three or more dwelling units. Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Dicine stated in court that the facts in the warrant show that Mr. Ramsammy was aware of the requirement for a second exit from the third-floor apartment and consciously disregarded his obligation, resulting in the death of his tenant, who would have likely survived had a second exit been available as required by law.
Content Last Modified on 6/25/2012 11:21:30 AM
Printable Version
|
