What did Al-Ashraf Khalil do? Philadelphia man arrested as firefighter dies in blaze

Al-Ashraf Khalil, the owner of a Fairhill pizza shop, has been accused by authorities of lying to federal investigators and setting his own business on fire. It has caused a three-story building to collapse and resulted in the death of a 51-year-old firefighter, Lt. Sean Williamson, of the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Reports suggest that Al-Ashraf Khalil also allegedly lied about the fact that he had attempted to fly from the United States to Jordan after telling investigators he had no travel plans citing the June 18 fire incident.

Defense Attorney R. Emmett Madden told Philadelphia Inquirer,

"My client had no role in starting the fire...he has and will continue assisting fully in this ongoing investigation"

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Al-Ashraf Khalil convicted for causing Lt. Sean Williamson's death

Before 1.30 a.m. on June 18, authorities claimed that based on external surveillance footage, Al-Ashraf Khalil and another person allegedly broke into the restaurant's basement doors and ignited a fire in the cooking area. A while later, smoke is spotted coming from the property.

Lt. Sean Williamson, 51, was a victim of the fire and was declared dead on the spot after becoming trapped in the wreckage. His funeral took place on Monday.

Khalil was detained on Friday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City after attempting to travel to Jordan but was turned away due to the Philadelphia arson probe, authorities said.

After hundreds attended Lt. Sean Williamson's funeral in South Philadelphia, officials revealed the accusations against Al-Ashraf Khalil Tuesday.

Reportedly, it was described as a routine blaze by the authorities. Eight people were safely moved out of the location, and within an hour, firefighters had control over the spread of the fire. According to the Fire Department, four firefighters and a city building inspector managed to leave the pizza shop with minor injuries, however, Lt. Sean Williamson didn't survive the injuries and was located in the rubble after several hours.

Al-Ashraf Khalil was caught on camera entering the site shortly after smoke came out. He was wearing striped sweatpants and black-and-white footwear. Investigators also traced down Khalil's getaway car and noticed him receiving the phone call from the tenant just a few blocks east.

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Al-Ashraf Khalil allegedly lied to investigators about his travel plans

On June 21, investigators found two booked tickets to Amman, Jordon, on Khalil's phone during the investigation. He allegedly lied about his travel plans to them.

He was caught at John F. Kennedy International airport by the US Marshals task force at 2:30 p.m on Friday. Khalil fled to Jordan following the fire incident, but diplomatic efforts helped secure his return, and he got arrested two days later.

Khalil possesses both United States and Palestinian passports. He first flew to Dubai and then to Amman, where he was not permitted to enter and was sent back to the United States.

Khalil's building appeared to have completed extensive construction work without recent approvals and operated without the necessary rental or restaurant permits.

When speaking to the media on Tuesday, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel said that intentional fires account for about a quarter of the 3,500 fires that the Fire Department investigates annually and are frequently fatal. Thiel also displayed a pocket-sized photograph of Williamson on the podium.