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Arson charges dismissed against hotel security manager
Mariano Barbosa accused of setting fires at Yotel, Soho Grand
Prosecutors dismissed charges last week against a former security manager accused of setting alight fires at two Manhattan hotels where he worked.
Mariano Barbosa faced arson, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief charges after authorities accused him of creating eight fires at Yotel New York in Hell’s Kitchen and the Soho Grand Hotel between 2009 and 2013.
Prosecutors dropped the charges against Barbosa, 32, on Oct. 7 because they could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, according to the New York Daily News.
While fire marshal investigators extracted a confession from Barbosa, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge threw it out on the basis that he had not been properly read his Miranda rights.
Barbosa’s lawyer also obtained several sworn alibi statements from colleagues who attested to his client’s whereabouts when the fires were set. The lawyer said Barbosa caved under pressure from investigators when admitting to the crimes.
The 669-key Yotel — notable for its small, inexpensive rooms – opened in 2011. [NYDN] – Rey Mashayekhi