By Gabriel Rom
A Rego Park man has been arrested in connection with a string of rubbish fires Dec. 16 on Austin Street in Forest Hills, according to police.
Samer Shuaib, 36, from 65-05 Fleet St., has been charged with criminal mischief, arson and reckless endangerment after police said he set three small debris fires along Austin Street, near the 112th Precinct.
According to police, the suspect set the fires between the hours of 11:49 p.m. and midnight: one on the side of 69-02 Austin St., one opposite 69-30 Austin St. and one in front of 68-40 Austin St.
No injuries were reported, according to the FDNY.
Police were able to find surveillance video of the suspected arsonist, which they released to the media last week.
Police said the rubbish fires were unrelated to the recent arson pattern in which seven residential construction sites have been torched throughout Forest Hills.
That suspect is still at large.
Reach reporter Gabriel Rom by e-mail at grom@
