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78-year-old accused of setting deadly arson fire in Sterling
A 78-year-old man has been charged with intentionally setting a townhouse fire in Sterling that left a woman dead, Loudoun County officials say. FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee reports.
STERLING, Va. - A 78-year-old man has been charged with intentionally setting a townhouse fire in Sterling that left a woman dead, Loudoun County officials say.
Deadly fire breaks out
What we know:
A joint investigation by the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has revealed that a fire that tore through two townhomes in the 20000 block of Riptide Square on Friday, Oct. 24 was intentionally set.
The three-alarm fire, which broke out around 1 a.m., required a massive response as two homes were fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived and a third had been damaged.
The intensity of the fire prevented firefighters from entering the structure and forced them to extinguish the fire from the exterior.
Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control within an hour but as the flames were put out, one person remained unaccounted for.
READ MORE: 1 unaccounted for after 3-alarm fire rips through Loudoun County townhomes
A tragic death
Victim identified:
As crews investigated the scene, the lone victim’s remains were located and sent to the Office of the Medical Examiner. She was later identified as Madelaine Samantha Akers, 36, a resident of one of the townhomes.
Neighbors told FOX 5 that they heard her screaming for help from a third-floor window as flames spread.
Many residents expressed concern about the townhomes’ construction, saying buildings from the 1990s may lack proper firewalls between units.
"We want justice. We want to know we can walk around in this neighborhood and be safe," one neighbor said.
A shocking arrest
The suspect:
On Tuesday, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office arrested 78-year-old Jacob Bogatin. He has been charged with one count of felony murder and one count of burning or destroying an occupied dwelling.
Multiple neighbors told FOX 5 that Bogatin lived in one of the two homes destroyed in the fire. One resident recalled being surprised when the people in that home moved out abruptly just a day before the blaze.
"We were all like, why did they leave so quickly? Then all of a sudden, 12 hours later, the place is on fire," the neighbor said.
Bogatin remains at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
"I want to thank our Criminal Investigations Division personnel and our counterparts at Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and the Fire Marshal’s Office for their diligent, swift, and thorough investigative work," said Sheriff Mike Chapman. "The fire and loss of life is a tragedy for our community, and we are committed to working together to pursue justice as this investigation continues."
READ MORE: Neighbors still shaken after woman killed in tragic townhouse fire in Loudoun County
A terrifying scene
What they're saying:
"It's crazy to believe that someone was arrested," neighbor Ahmad Attar told FOX 5. "We’ll wait for updates to see what’s going on."
Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, described the fear residents felt.
"As a neighbor I'm so scared. The guy he did this. One person passed away, cause of fire, it’s really sad."
"This is something you see on Law & Order. This isn’t something that happens in a neighborhood like this," neighbor Corey Nowak added.
Community impact
Families displaced:
In total, eight people were displaced by the fire. Neighbors said they did not know much about Akers, only that she had moved in this past summer.
Bogatin is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
The investigation is ongoing.