Altariq Nixon charged with arson, set fire to neighbor's Coram house, police say
The fire-damaged house on Glenmere Lane in Coram on Friday morning. Credit: Neil Miller
Suffolk County police announced the arrest Friday of a Coram man, charging him with setting a fire that gutted a neighbor's home.
Altariq Nixon, 43, was arrested following an investigation by Arson Squad detectives and the Town of Brookhaven fire marshal, police said. He was charged with second-degree arson.
Nixon pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Friday in First District Court in Central Islip. A judge issued a temporary order of protection and set bail at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond, according to court records.
His attorney could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Police said the fire at the home on Glenmere Lane was the second in two months. The previous fire, also being investigated as a possible arson, occurred Sept. 10 — and police said shrubs and siding on the home were damaged in that fire. Nixon lives on Hirsch Avenue, about three houses down from the fire scene.
Police would not say whether Nixon was a suspect in the September fire, citing the continuing investigation.
The latest blaze was reported in a 911 call at 11:43 p.m. Thursday, and Suffolk fire officials said firefighters from at least five departments — Coram, Selden, Medford, Port Jefferson and Terryville, as well as a crew from Port Jefferson Ambulance — responded to the scene.
Two adult residents were able to safely evacuate the home, police said. No injuries were reported.
The Red Cross sent its Disaster Action Team to assist with emergency aid for the displaced residents, officials said.
Video from the scene Friday showed the home largely gutted, with boards covering damaged or destroyed windows and doors.
Police declined to discuss any potential motive for the alleged arson.
Additional details were not immediately available.
Newsday's John Asbury contributed to this story.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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