Kenneth Roberts and boy, 12, killed in morning basement fire at Hempstead apartment building, officials say

A 42-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy are dead after a fire broke out in the basement of a Hempstead apartment building early Friday, authorities said.

Later Friday morning, speaking at the Albemarle Avenue building, Nassau police identified the man as Kenneth Roberts, 42, and did not identify the 12-year-old.

Lisset Cruz, 40, who identified herself as Roberts' wife, said she was staying at her mother’s house on Thursday night and woke to a call from her sister-in-law about the fire around 6 a.m.

"They were good people," Cruz said of her husband, a veterinary technician whom she married four years ago. She said the 12-year-old was called Mekhi and was her stepson. She described him as a "good kid who was loving and enjoyed video games."

A 911 call about the fire came in around 4 a.m. at the two-story, multiple-family dwelling, which the fire rendered uninhabitable, officials said. Fire marshals said they believe the home did not have smoke detectors.

An emailed statement from Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene and the boy was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where he was pronounced dead.

Uttaro said that the fire began in the basement, where Roberts and the boy live. Firefighters quickly discovered that “people were trapped” and attempted to rescue them, he said.

They also found the body of a dog after the fire was extinguished, Uttaro said.

Patricia Brown, 74, of Hempstead, said she was a family friend who came for support when she heard the news.

“Very, very, very lovely family, but terrible, terrible tragedy,” Brown said, who was standing next to a woman she described as the sister of Roberts.

The woman was distraught , Brown said, as she had her back turned to reporters. She lived on the first floor of the building with her own family.

At one point, the woman, with her back still turned to reporters, broke down and sobbed, embracing Brown.

Brown said the tragedy comes only a few years after the woman’s and man’s mother died.

Uttaro said he could not confirm if any apartments were illegal, but the Village of Hempstead is investigating the building for violations.

Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs also attended the scene of the fire Friday morning, Uttaro said.

The fire was contained to the basement and did not spread to the adjacent residences, aside from smoke damage.

The apartment where the fire occurred is uninhabitable.

“Basement fires are extremely difficult to fight because you're basically descending into a furnace,” Uttaro said.

He confirmed the building had several subdivided units and appeared overcrowded.

“There was definitely too many folks living there,” Uttaro said.

The building received violations for having no working smoke alarms, which is against state law.

“Smoke detectors save lives, and perhaps if they were in place, maybe we would have had a different outcome,” Uttaro said

About 100 firefighters from Hempstead, West Hempstead, South Hempstead, Freeport, Rockville Centre, Uniondale, Garden City, Elmont and Westbury battled the blaze under the direction of Hempstead assistant chief Scott Clark. 

The fire went to a second alarm before it was placed under control within 90 minutes, Uttaro said.

"Serious fire damage to the structure" made the building uninhabitable, he said in the news release, adding, "No smoke detectors observed."

The two victims were discovered in the basement, Uttaro said. No other injuries were reported.

Outside the building, cordoned off by police tape, on Friday around 11 a.m., about a dozen neighbors joined relatives of the deceased as they watched fire and police officials work the scene.

Children's bicycles and a helmet, along with a wheelchair, sat underneath two broken windows.

The Red Cross was asked to assist 10 residents displaced by the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by fire marshals and detectives from the Nassau police Arson / Bomb Squad. Hempstead Village building inspectors were also on the scene.

Newsday's John Valenti contributed to this story.

Check back for updates on this developing story.