Alleged fire starter of Miami apartment blaze has arson charge dropped, records show
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Miami apartment complex goes up in massive flames, displaces dozens of residents
Miami’s Temple Court Apartments was set ablaze by a man who, only moments before, allegedly shot a building worker. A massive blaze engulfed the building, causing severe structural damage and displacing over 40 people.
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Authorities pointed to Juan Francisco Figueroa as the man responsible for a four-story Miami apartment-complex fire and the shooting of a building worker in June. State prosecutors on Friday, however, dropped the arson and firearm charges against him.
Figueroa, 73, is still facing attempted murder, but the first-degree arson and use of a firearm to commit a crime charges were listed as “no action” on the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court website, signifying prosecutors’ decision not to have him face trial for the charges.
The reason behind the decision is unclear. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond for comment.
READ MORE: Police take custody of man who they say shot another, ignited apartment fire in Miami
On June 10, Miami police said Figueroa shot a worker at the Temple Court Apartments, 431 NW Third St., and then set the complex ablaze.
It took 126 people to extinguish the flames, and 43 people — many of them low-income elderly — were displaced.
What remains of the building is being demolished, as City of Miami officials warned that it was on the verge of “imminent” collapse.
READ MORE: Miami apartment complex being demolished after blaze swept through it
Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development, among other agencies, have been working with the displaced residents to find secure housing.
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