A woman allegedly connected to a Mother’s Day fire in New Jersey that left 22 people displaced has been arrested, local outlets reported Friday.
The alleged suspect, 20-year-old Nakyah Barnes-Nelson, reportedly doused perfume on the personal belongings of a male she was associated with. Barnes-Nelson proceeded to set fire to the belongings on one of the wooden balconies at Myrtle Place Apartments located in Camden, New Jersey, local outlet ABC 6 reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Woman On Train Sprays 70-Year-Old Man With Liquid, Sets Him On Fire)
The two-story structure was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived at the apartment complex around 5 a.m. Sunday. Barnes-Nelson, who was reportedly a resident of the complex, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with two counts of arson and related offenses.
Authorities in Camden, New Jersey have announced an arrest in connection with a three-alarm fire. https://t.co/OCcqYjOvgs
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) May 13, 2022
“The agency still has one person of interest we would like to speak with regarding the fire,” according to Camden County Police Department in a statement, though no other persons of interest have been identified as of Friday, according to the outlet.
“I opened the door, I see smoke. I ran inside and got my mom out, my brother, started screaming and trying to get everybody out of the building, you know?” said Nilsa Santiago, a resident of the complex. “That’s what matters, the lives. Everything else is material. My mom is OK and everyone else. We didn’t lose lives,” Santiago continued.
At least nine families were displaced as a result of the fire, according to the report. Displaced persons are being provided with food and temporary shelter by Red Cross.