A 15-year-old male has been arrested and charged in connection with two carport fires at Lake Cable Village Apartments that investigators say were intentionally set.
According to a media release issued Thursday by the Jackson Township Police Department, detectives arrested the teen on Feb. 12. He is accused of setting both fires.
The juvenile, who resides in the 4800 block of South Blvd. NW, has been charged with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and arson, a fourth-degree felony.
The first fire occurred Feb. 10 at approximately 3:28 p.m. in the 4800 block of South Blvd. NW. Jackson Township Fire and Police departments responded to a fully engulfed blaze involving multiple vehicles and a carport. The fire caused substantial damage to the vehicles and the structure. One burn injury was reported.
The second fire occurred Feb. 11 at approximately 7 p.m. in the 5600 block of Lasaer St. NW. Fire crews again responded to a fully engulfed carport fire involving multiple vehicles. Substantial damage was reported in that incident as well.
Both fires occurred at the Lake Cable Village Apartments complex and resulted in significant property damage.
John Flanders, a resident whose 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan was destroyed in one of the fires, previously told Jordan Miller News he discovered the flames after hearing his vehicle’s alarm and going outside to investigate.
“I grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to put it out, but it only lasted about two seconds,” Flanders said. “By the time I got back with another one, it was fully engulfed.”
Flanders described the carport as a well-constructed structure before the fire, but said it is now severely damaged, with the roof collapsed and metal supports fallen.
“It’s scary,” he said. “What if it would’ve been our apartment building instead of the carport?”
The Jackson Township Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau and the Jackson Township Fire Prevention Bureau.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
