Convicted murderer charged in Miami shooting, apartment fire

June 11 (UPI) -- Local police arrested a 73-year-old man for allegedly shooting a neighbor before starting a fire that engulfed a four-story apartment complex in Miami Monday morning.

Juan Francisco Figueroa was booked on charges of attempted murder, first-degree arson, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a firearm while committing a felony.

He is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

A judge ordered him held without bond during a Tuesday morning hearing.

Figuero is accused of shooting an employee of Temple Court Apartments in the stomach and afterward setting fire to the apartment complex.

The fire displaced about 50 residents and required 126 firefighters from several fire stations to contain and eventually put out the blaze.

The firehouses were alerted at about 8:15 a.m. EDT Monday.

Firefighters rescued about 40 people from the blaze as thick smoke and flames engulfed the third floor and spread to other parts of the building.

"Firefighters extended hose lines into the structure for an aggressive fire attack" as "other crews began rescuing victims from their units," Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez told Local 10 News.

"Multiple residents were rescued from their apartments and some from their balconies," Sanchez said.

The apartment building is located at 431 NW Third St. near downtown Miami.

The shooting victim , Fedor Biotte, 30, survived after Figueroa allegedly shot him while on the third floor of the apartment building where Figueroa lived.

Police said they found a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver and ammunition in Figueroa's car, and he allegedly had burn marks on his hands.

Police said they found Figueroa driving a maroon-colored Honda Accord in the area Monday afternoon and arrested him.

Figueroa was convicted of murder and imprisoned for nearly eight years in the 1990s.

He also was arrested by local police on two aggravated assault and battery offenses on one occasion and for burglarizing an unoccupied structure on another occasion.