The back of 41 Spring Street after a fire ripped through the building. (Stephen Yang)
The back of 41 Spring Street after a fire ripped through the building. (Stephen Yang)
By LAURA ITALIANO
Hours after falling into a jealous rage and setting last month’s fatal SoHo apartment fire, a Manhattan man callously told cops he “really didn’t care either way” about his deadly deed.
“When a detective asked him how he felt about what he had done, defendant said he really didn’t care either way and that he had no hard feelings,” according to confession notes released today as Wei Chu Hu, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder and arson charges in Manhattan Supreme Court.
“He said he burned a building down because he was stressed about family matters,” police detectives said Hu told them of the Jan. 11 blaze at 41 Spring Street, which left a 66-year-old newlywed woman charred and lifeless on a third floor fire escape.
“He said nobody got hurt to his knowledge,” according to the confession.
“He said he believed his wife was having an extramarital sexual relationship and that he and his wife got into an argument about this and she left the building with their son,” the confession notes, recorded by Fifth Precinct detectives, continued.
Hu also admits starting the fire using a lighter — first igniting the bedding in his wife and son’s bedroom, then the bedding in his own bedroom — and then fighting with first responders to keep them from entering the building.
Hu made additional statements that were videotaped by prosecutors but not released. He remains held without bail.
“We’re trying to find out to what extent there is a viable psychiatric defense,” his lawyer, Kevin Walsh, said after court. Wu’s records were destroyed in the fire; the lawyer said he is in the process of retrieving additional health documents from China.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon set April 2 for Hu’s next court date.
“A woman died without warning as a result of the destructive, callous actions for which the defendant stands accused,” Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance said in a written statement issued after the arraignment.
“As a result of this fire, none of the building’s residents have been able to return to their apartments and many lost a lifetime of belongings,” he said.
“Many more neighbors could have been injured or had their homes destroyed if not fort he swift and courageous work of the FDNY and NYPD, who put their lives on the line that night,” he added.