187th Street Bronx Fire Update - Lost Cats Return One Pet at a Time
Tennant Arrested for Trying to Get Back into Charred Building
On Thursday, May 7, family members of “Richie” surround a cage after an animal rescue as TV cameras capture the moment however the reunion was short lived as the cat was actually a female cat named “Miss Kitty,” who was later returned to its owner.—Photo by David Greene
By David Greene
Bronx Voice
May 18, 2026
BRONX, NY - A survivor of the April 21st, 5-alarm fire in Belmont has been arrested for trespassing after more than two weeks of not being able to return to his apartment to retrieve personal property.
One police source told the Bronx Voice, “There is a report on file for criminal trespass in the confines of the 48 Precinct.” The official continued, “It was reported to police that on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at approximately 5:30 p.m. an individual entered 660 East 187 Street disregarding signs prohibiting people from entering the building.” The burned-out resident Anthony Jolly, 36, was charged with “criminal trespass.”
On May 14, Jolly was back at the site with his displaced neighbors, waiting for answers on the cause of the fire, when residents can return to apartments that are safe to enter to retrieve belongings-- and the fate of at least 7 cats and a dog left inside the building since the fire.
Jolly said he had no time to get any of his belongings as people on the street began yelling at him. He recalled, “They started yelling at the window, ‘what are you doing,’ and I went to the window, and I was like shut up, I’m a tenant here, shut up. One of the guys recognized me. Yeah, they called the cops.”
Jolly says he made it out of the boarded-up building and somehow slipped past police, he continued, “The cops didn’t even see me. I walked; somebody must have pointed me out. So, I ran around the corner.”
Jolly says he ducked into the corner deli, adding, "I went in there and (the police) grabbed me.” Jolly was held in a jail cell for a few hours and released. He faces a judge later this month.
Before a scaffold was erected outside the front of the Building, Jolly said he was able to see into his first-floor apartment. Asked what he was trying to retrieve, he said, “Jewelry, documents, you name it, it’s in there.”
Asked if he was home when the fire broke out, he said, “No, I had just left. My wife was home. The dog was barking at the door. She told the dog to be quiet, because the dog usually barks when somebody is too close” to his front door. As his dog kept barking, Jolly concluded, “She said she opened the door because she heard a commotion and black smoke came in.” The wife and dog exited through the fire escape to safety.
On the 17th day after fire destroyed their building, a member of the FDNY and members of Animal Control Centers removed a large pet turtle from the East 187 Street building that was destroyed by fire on April 21.—Photo by David Greene
The Bronx Voice first spoke to Jolly on Friday, May 1, when he said, “I can see straight into my bedroom window, my stuff is still intact. So, I need to retrieve my stuff, my kids’ stuff, my wife’s stuff.”
Speaking of his landlord, Jolly said, “They’re very obnoxious, disrespectful, rude. The least they should do is speak to the people. Let us know what’s going to happen, what’s going on.”
Attempts to contact the owner of the building or property manager have so far been unsuccessful, but on Tuesday, May 12, the Bronx Voice was able to contact the building’s super Luis by telephone. Asked about the animals trapped in the building, Luis said, “I don’t know anything” when the call was disconnected. When called again, the call went directly to voicemail. A message was left with Luis’ voicemail, but the call was never returned.
A black and white kitty named “Milo” was rescued on Tuesday, May 21, 21 days after fire destroyed the building.—Photo courtesy of Mary Baron
On May 7, the 16th day since fire destroyed the five-story building in Belmont, when animal rescue groups Little Wanderers and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals joined displaced family members to advocate for them and demand that the city enter the building and rescue the animals. The rescue groups brought with them several news outlets who filmed the demonstration. Officials from the FDNY and Department of Buildings eventually allowed limited access to the heavily damaged building.
As members of Animal Care Centers (ACC) emerged from the building with an orange tabby cat first believed to be “Richie” was brought out and the owners of Richie surrounded the cage as cameras surrounded them. News outlets quickly reported that the animal was returned to its owner. However, the family took the cat to a vet and learned that the cat was not Richie, but “Miss Kitty,” who was eventually returned to her family.
The body of a small dog was also recovered, and a member of ACC did his best to console the family, who was also at the site. The family now has closure.
On May 8, FDNY and ACC returned to the building without the fanfare of TV cameras. This time coming out of the building with a large pet turtle that was reunited with its family.
On May 12, 21 days after the fire, another team emerged from the building with a black and white cat “Oreo” who was later returned to his family.
Mary Baron, who first contacted the Bronx Voice about the trapped animals, said, “That’s good news because the happier endings we have, the more we will continue to try.”
Also on May 12, Frederic Klein, the regional communication manager at the Red Cross of Greater News York said that the fire displaced 29 households totaling 95 people, that included 75 adults and 25 children.
Original estimates of missing animals by residents were 7 cats and a dog, but Klein stated that he had 11 reports of missing animals from the Belmont building.
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