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Published on January 21, 2025
Miami Man Charged with Second-Degree Murder and Arson in Connection to Fatal 2024 House FireSource: Google Street View

A man has been arrested in connection with a deadly 2024 house fire in Miami that left another person dead, police said last Friday. Marcus Sanchez, 43, is facing multiple charges including second-degree murder with a weapon and two counts of first-degree arson, this information according to NBC Miami.

Firefighters had responded to a call on August 18, 2024, where they encountered heavy smoke and flames emanating from the back of a residence located at 3056 SW 13th Street, upon extinguishing the fire, a deceased individual was discovered within the premises, Sanchez himself was later admitted to a hospital for severe burns sustained during the incident. The City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue noted that the primary source of the fire appeared to originate from the rear of the building, a detail that was echoed by officials in the arrest report.

An accelerant detection canine deployed by the Fire Marshal provided vital clues when it identified accelerants on the shoes worn by Sanchez, this critical piece of evidence tied him to the crime scene, per the arrest report, as shared by Local 10 News. Furthermore, officers obtained surveillance footage from a nearby Chevron gas station showing Sanchez purchasing and filling a red five-gallon fuel can—the footage further implicating Sanchez in the events leading up to the fire.

The identity and relationship of the victim to Sanchez have not been disclosed by the authorities, however, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Office has ruled the victim's death a homicide, some months followed before Sanchez was taken into custody by the police, and as of the recent reports, he remains held at the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center, with bond yet to be set.

Miami-Crime & Emergencies