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Police: Man Set Roommate on Fire

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Ashley Fantz, The Miami Herald

Mar. 28--1

Jessica Ruiz was awakened early Monday to screams of pain she'll never forget.

At around 5 a.m., the 21-year-old ran outside her apartment and saw a man on fire running through the front lawn of a Fort Lauderdale assisted-living facility.

"He had flames shooting everywhere on his body," she said. "I could smell the smoke."

Police believe Ilya Goligorsky's roommate set fire to his bed, using gasoline or some other fuel. The fire engulfed and ravaged a single-room dorm at Fort Lauderdale Retirement Home, 415 SE 12th Ct., a home for the elderly and mentally ill.

A neighbor said the 56-year-old Russian immigrant had been living at the facility for about three months. He was taken to Broward General Medical Center, then flown by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Burn Center with burns over 96 percent of his body.

Goligorsky was in critical condition Monday afternoon, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue spokesman Stephen McInerny.

A woman who identified herself as a supervisor at the home declined to talk to a reporter.

Four men shared the dorm. All were in the room when the fire started, said police spokeswoman Detective. Kathy Collins.

Investigators are looking for one of them, but would not revela a name Monday.

EARLIER FIGHT

Police believe the arsonist could be the same roommate who fought with Goligorsky on Saturday.

Authorities were called to break up the argument, but did not release any details of that incident.

SPITTING INCIDENT

According to a third roommate who witnessed the fight on Saturday, Goligorsky spat in the face of the man he argued with.

That witness, James Miller, told Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS4 that the two had been having a kind of turf war.

"One guy tries to run the room," Miller said.

He was sleeping around 5 a.m. when he heard the roommate who Goligorsky had been feuding with arrive home with another man. Miller said he was awakened by "something dropping."

Then, "Boom -- flames to the ceiling!" Miller said.

Miller grabbed his things and ran out, apparently uninjured.

He said he didn't see who set the fire.

WANTED TO MOVE

Cornelius Bannis, 45, lives in an apartment next to the Fort Lauderdale Retirement Home. He spoke with Goligorsky the night before the fire.

"He asked if he could stay with me," Bannis said.

Goligorsky told Bannis he had been fighting with a roommate and was awaiting a Social Security check to rent a new place.

The facility, open since 1991, houses 81 people, some of whom suffer from mental illness.

Its state license is in good standing, following an October 2005 review, said Toby Philpot, spokesman for the Agency for Healthcare Administration, which oversees assisted living facilities.

In September 2005, the home was cited because some staff members had failed to conduct emergency drills with residents.

Others did not have up to date First Aid certification.

Those violations were remedied by the time of the subsequent inspection.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Miami Herald

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Source: The Miami Herald

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