Firefighters responding to a blaze in Bayside on May 23 made a grisly discovery-the body of a woman and her boyfriend, who was trying to hang himself, fire officials said.
The unidentified, 30-year-old woman was found on a bed in a basement apartment on 214th Place in Bayside at about 7:30 p.m., fire officials said.
“When firefighters opened a closet in the apartment, they found the male attempting to hang himself,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The suspect, 50-year-old Suk Hyun Yoon, was arrested and taken in critical condition to Queens General Hospital, Brown said.
Neighbors told investigators the couple had a stormy relationship, police sources said. The woman is allegedly a gambler who is always in debt, the neighbors said.
The landlord told investigators that the couple owes more than $8,000 in back rent, the sources said.
Fire marshals are trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which caused only minor damage to the apartment, officials said.
—Liz Goff