Elchanan Shkolnik, the grandson of Reb Amram Chai Mizrachi z”l , who was niftar last Thursday in a fire in his Boro Park apartment, issued a sharply worded statement on Sunday, claiming his grandfather’s death was not an accident.

Shkolnik says his grandfather, who had lived alone in the United States for fifty years, had recently been the target of severe extortion by a criminal organization that repeatedly threatened his life. He alleges the gang stripped his grandfather of hundreds of thousands of dollars saved through years of modest living, eventually forcing him to take out loans once his savings were depleted.

According to Shkolnik, when the niftar sought help from the New York police, the response fell far short of what was needed. Officers allegedly told him merely to change his phone number rather than addressing the threats he reported.

The family forcefully disputes initial reports that the fire in the apartment, located at 12th Avenue and 47th Street, was caused by a lit cigarette. They call the explanation implausible and insist the circumstances suggest a deliberate act that was covered up. Shkolnik stated that his grandfather “was burned to death” while criminals continued to benefit from the money taken from him.

Police told Belaaz on Sunday that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined by the Fire Marshal.

The family remembered Reb Amram as a talmid chacham with refined middos, a fixture in the Boro Park community and an expert Ba’al Koreh who davened regularly at Tenke and Tiferes Eliezer (Lev). They described him as someone known for his warm smile, his deep Torah knowledge – videos circulated online after his petirah of him reciting Chumash by heart – his generosity to tzedaka, and his unwavering support for yeshivos.

Shkolnik urged the public to treat this tragedy as a cautionary tale, encouraging people to stay closely connected to relatives who live alone, especially elderly family members, and to check in regularly to ensure their safety.