Bronx Man Accused Of Setting His Girlfriend On Fire After Catching Her Reportedly Cheating

A lover’s triangle ended with alleged arson and death Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, New York.

According to the New York Daily News, Mara LaMinn, 44, went to the 2216 Adams Place apartment he formerly shared with girlfriend Berta Booker, 49, in the Tremont section of the Bronx, New York.

When he arrived at the second-floor unit around 1 p.m., he discovered Booker with another man, Abakar Assad, 50, the Daily News story said.

According to the Daily News, Assad said that Booker broke up with LaMinn on Thursday and had him move out and give her the key to the apartment back.

Assad said that LaMinn showed up “banging on the door,” and Booker “reluctantly” let him in.

Following an argument, Assad said the boyfriend then poured lighter fluid on Booker and set fire to her with a lighter he just bought, catching on fire himself.

“He jumped on her,” Assad said.

Assad told the Daily News that he saw the fire and then jumped out of the apartment window hurting his ankle.

“I broke my feet,” he said in the article. “I jumped from the second floor. It’s not easy.”

He told the Daily News that he could hear Booker screaming as the flames engulfed her, and he called 911 while crawling into a staircase where neighbors assisted him.

Firefighters went to the scene and removed LaMinn and Booker from the apartment in the five-story building, according to the Daily News.

Rescue workers then rushed the couple to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead, and she later died from her injuries, according to the Daily News.

Assad also went to the same hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Law enforcement sources could not say if LaMinn meant to set himself on fire as well as Booker, or could not get away from the flames fast enough.

Assad said that he was only Booker’s roommate, and there was nothing romantic between them, also telling the Daily News that LaMinn was “very, very jealous.”

“He’s not good. He’s not a good person,” he said. “She has a daughter who lives in Spain, she told me, ‘I don’t like this guy… there’s always drama.’ He’s aggressive.”

According to the story, Booker leaves behind two grown children, a son, 26, and a daughter, 20.

She was also sending money to her family in the Dominican Republic, a relative told the paper.

Fire and police officials labeled the incident as arson and are continuing an investigation.