Three men received prison sentences for their roles in a fire at an Arlington apartment building on May 15, 2025. Marvin Hernandez Lopez was sentenced to five years of incarceration; Wilmer Agustin de Leon and Erasbiel Flores each received two years. The fire at 1020 S. Quebec St. in the Douglas Park neighborhood affected 32 occupants, according to WTOP.
The fire broke out on May 15, 2025, according to Patch, which reported that three men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the apartment building arson. The fire ultimately affected 32 occupants, as reported by WTOP. Residents were forced to flee the building, with some escaping through second-floor windows to avoid the smoke and flames, per Patch's account of that night.
Residents’ injuries and the fire investigation
Several residents were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation, Patch reported.
Fire officials found evidence indicating the blaze was suspicious in nature, according to the same WTOP report that later detailed the arrests. That finding set off what the station described as a monthslong investigation before the three men were arrested and charged with arson.
Prosecutors’ account of how the fire was started
Prosecutors alleged that the men bought a Big Gulp cup and filled it with gasoline from a pump at an Arlington County 7-Eleven. Marvin Hernandez Lopez took the cup into an interior stairwell and ignited it, according to Patch.
Sentences imposed on separate dates
Hernandez Lopez was sentenced July 17 to five years of incarceration followed by five years of supervised probation, Patch reported. Agustin de Leon was sentenced Sept. 4, and Flores on Oct. 23; each received two years of incarceration followed by three years of supervised probation.
All three sentences also included mental health and substance use treatment and restitution, according to Patch. The sentences were imposed between July and October, about five months after the May fire.
How this fire compares with national data
The U.S. Fire Administration estimated 109,700 multifamily residential building fires were reported each year from 2013 to 2015, according to its report. That figure covers multifamily fires generally, not just fires determined to be intentional, so it cannot be directly compared with this arson case or treated as a count of apartment arsons.
