Brooklyn Woman Arraigned In Spring Valley Fire Investigation: DA

New City NY

18 August, 2021

12:23 PM

Description

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A woman from Brooklyn turned herself in to investigators Tuesday to face a reckless endangerment charge in connection with the fire investigation at an assisted living home in Spring Valley that resulted in the deaths of a resident and a firefighter. Denise Kerr was arrested and arraigned on Tuesday, Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh said. The 51-year-old entered a not guilty plea to the misdemeanor count before Judge David Fried in a Spring Valley courtroom. Kerr was released on her own recognizance. She is next scheduled to appear in court on October 12. The Evergreen Court Home for Adults was a massive three-story building at 65 Lafayette St. The assisted living facility, which housed 112 residents, was a converted hotel built in 1903.Firefighters and others told the Journal News in April that the assisted living home was commonly considered a death trap. A firefighter trying to rescue residents was killed in the conflagration, as was a resident. The resident has not been publicly named. The volunteer firefighter was Spring Valley resident Jared Lloyd. Investigators into the cause of the fatal fire include the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Rockland County Sheriff's Office and the Spring Valley Police Department. SEE ALSO: Spring Valley Fire: Investigation Will Take Time, Officials SayRockland Mourns: Fallen Firefighter Jared Lloyd Laid To RestFatal Fire: Sources Say Alarms Were Off For Pre-Passover Cleaning