Nargis Fakhri’s sister Aliya faces murder charges for burning ex-boyfriend with his friend - Report. What happened?

Actress Nargis Fakhri's sister, Aliya Fakhri, has been arrested in connection with the tragic deaths of her ex-boyfriend, Edward Jacobs, and his friend, Anastasia "Star" Ettienne, in Queens, New York. The incident, reportedly fueled by jealousy, has shocked both the local community and those close to the family.

The Tragic Incident

According to the investigation and charges, Aliya arrived at her ex's house around 6:20 a.m. on November 2, shouting, "You're all going to die today," before igniting a fire to the two-storey garage. The blaze quickly escalated into a "raging inferno," claiming the lives of Edward Jacobs, 35, and Anastasia Ettienne, 33. The Queens district attorney's office stated that Fakhri "allegedly started the fire near the building's entrance," leaving the victims trapped with no way to escape. Both individuals succumbed to smoke inhalation and severe burns. According to District Attorney Melinda Katz, the two victims—Jacobs, 35, and Ettienne, 33—died due to smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Katz described the act as "malicious," highlighting the severity of the crime. "This defendant maliciously ended the lives of two people by setting a fire that trapped a man and woman in a raging inferno," she said in an official statement.

Aliya Fakhri was taken into custody and denied bail during her arraignment at Queens Criminal Court. She has been formally charged in connection with the deaths of two individuals in a fatal fire. A grand jury indicted Fakhri on multiple charges, including four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder, and one count each of first-degree and second-degree arson. If convicted of the most serious charge, she could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Fakhri is scheduled to appear in court again on December 9.


A witness who was present at the scene provided a disturbing account of the events. The witness recalled smelling a sweet burning odor and quickly fleeing the building. "We smelled something sweet burning. I don’t know if it was gasoline or what. We ran out, and the couch on the stairs was on fire, and we had to jump over it to get out. Star jumped over with me, but she went back in to save Jacobs," the witness said. They also mentioned that Aliya had previously made threats to burn Jacobs' house down, calling their relationship abusive. "She had told everybody before that she was going to burn his house down, that she was going to kill him. We just laughed it off," the witness added.

While Nargis Fakhri, best known for her role in Rockstar, has not yet commented on the incident, her mother has come forward to defend Aliya. She expressed disbelief over the allegations, stating, "I don’t think she would be killing someone. She was a person who was caring for everybody. She tried to help everybody." The mother also shared that Aliya had struggled with opioid addiction following a dental mishap, which may have played a role in her actions.

The Victims and Relationship Dynamics

Edward Jacobs and Anastasia Ettienne were reportedly not in a romantic relationship but were close friends. According to Jacobs' mother, her son and Aliya had separated a year prior to the fire, but Aliya reportedly continued to pursue him. At the time of the tragedy, Jacobs was working on a property to convert the garage into an apartment, which ultimately became the site of the fire.

(With inputs from TOI.)