St. Paul man charged with arson, murder for deadly NE Minneapolis duplex fire
A 41-year-old man is accused of purposefully starting a fire at a northeast Minneapolis duplex that killed his friend late last month.
The man from St. Paul was charged with one count each of second-degree murder and first-degree arson for the Sept. 24 fire, according to a complaint filed in Hennepin County on Friday.
Crews were called to the duplex on 22nd Avenue Northeast near Northeast Jackson Street at about 11:19 p.m., where they arrived to find "heavy fire showing from the front of the residence on the first and second floor," according to the Minneapolis Fire Department.
Inside the first floor of the residence, firefighters found a deceased man.
Investigators responded to the scene and learned from other residents that they had seen a man, later identified as the suspect, at the victim's residence shortly before the fire. Charges say the suspect had previously made threats against the victim, including threats to set the house on fire.
The victim's mother, who owns the duplex, told investigators her son and the suspect had been friends growing up, and she used to rent a room to the suspect but had to evict him due to his drug use, according to court documents. She added that her son and the suspect previously had physical fights.
Hours after the fire, police found the victim's car in the area of Chicago and Franklin avenues and conducted a stop. The driver was identified as the suspect.
Charges say when officers asked the suspect how he got the victim's vehicle, he told them that the victim had sent him to the liquor store just before 10 p.m. He claimed he couldn't get inside the victim's residence when he got back and tried to call him several times, so he drove around south Minneapolis.
However, charges allege a review of the suspect's phone did not show any evidence that he had tried to call the victim. Additionally, location data revealed the device had been at the victim's residence from 8:06 p.m. until the time of the fire.
Officers reported that they observed scratches on the suspect's arm and face during his interview.
Court documents show the suspect has two prior convictions for arson.
