NEW ROCHELLE, NY (February 26, 2025) — A man was arrested this week after allegedly setting fire to his ex-wife’s 2024 BMW in a New Rochelle parking garage, police said.
On Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, New Rochelle Police responded to a report of a vehicle fire at 325 Huguenot St. around 12:47 p.m. Firefighters had extinguished the blaze inside the car, owned by a female resident of the building, by the time officers arrived.
Following an investigation, detectives identified the woman’s ex-husband as a suspect. On Feb. 21, they obtained a search warrant for his residence in the Bronx and the vehicle he reportedly used to leave the scene.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, police executed the warrant at the suspect’s apartment. The man, Hari Valdez, 34, of the Bronx, was taken into custody off-site without incident.
Valdez faces charges of arson in the third degree, a Class C felony, and criminal mischief in the second degree, a Class D felony, under New York State Penal Law. He also has six active arrest warrants out of Croton, N.Y. After being released on his own recognizance from New Rochelle Court, he was transferred to Croton Police.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released additional details.
