Tenants not guilty in firemen's deaths

NEW YORK, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Two New York apartment tenants have been found not guilty of manslaughter and other charges in the death of two firefighters, officials said Friday.

The firefighters died after jumping from a window to escape an out-of-control blaze in a Bronx apartment building in 2005, The New York Times reported.

Rafael Castillo and Caridad Coste were charged with contributing to the deaths because of illegal partition walls in their apartments that disoriented Fire Department Lt. Curtis Meyran, 46, and Firefighter John G. Bellew, 37.

A faulty extension cord in one of the units caused the blaze, the newspaper said.