5-year-old severely injured in Rochester fire identified; blaze ruled arson

Rochester police have identified the 5-year-old boy severely injured in a Portland Avenue house fire earlier this week, and announced that the blaze was intentionally set.

The boy, Malakai Stovall, suffered life-threatening injuries and remains hospitalized at Strong Memorial Hospital, according to Rochester Police. He is on a ventilator and suffered burns to more than 75% of his body as a result of a fire at a duplex at 1290 Portland Ave., near Shelmont Drive, just before 2 a.m. Monday.

Malakai was found unconscious in a second-floor bedroom rescued by firefighters, he said.

The fire, Umbrino said, was intentionally set – by more than one person – "from the outside of the residence at the point of entrance."

Malakai, he said, lives at 1290 Portland with his parents, who were out of town at the time of the blaze. The boy was home with a 19-year-old babysitter, Umbrino said.

"The fire spread so quickly that the babysitter was physically unable to even attempt to make it up to the second floor to get the child out," Umbrino said at a Tuesday news conference.

The babysitter was treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation and was released.

Two Rochester firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire. Both firefighters were treated and are home recovering from their injuries, said Lt. Jackeline Sierra of the Rochester Fire Department.

Seven people lived on the other side of the duplex and all escaped safely and were not injured, Umbrino said.

The duplex was "completely destroyed by the fire," he said.

Rochester police on Tuesday announced that the blaze was arson, and that a $5,000 reward was being offered for information "leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals responsible for starting the fire."

Umbrino said that its "too early to discuss motive in this case."

"Quite frankly, the motive is irrelevant," he said. "You have two injured firefighters and you have a 5-year-old fighting for his life...We're talking about an innocent 5-year-old child right now, whose life has drastically changed forever, assuming he even gets to see the age of 6."

Anyone with information is asked to call 911, the Rochester Police Department's Major Crimes Unit at (585) 428-7157 or CrimeStoppers at (585) 423-9300, or email majorcrimes@cityofrochester.gov.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 5-year-old severely injured in Rochester fire identified; blaze ruled arson