Woman facing eviction from New Orleans apartment allegedly set the building on fire
According to a report she received an eviction notice earlier that day.
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A woman facing eviction from her Central City apartment building allegedly torched the 25-unit complex Monday night before fleeing to Texas, according to investigators.
Jazlynn Major, 25, was arrested Tuesday by police in Hunstville, Texas, on a warrant accusing her of 26 counts of aggravated arson following the three-alarm blaze at the Amies Paradise apartments that killed a dog and displaced 26 residents.
According to investigators, the fire occurred several hours after Major appeared in New Orleans city court and received a 24-hour eviction notice from the complex in the 1600 block of Washington Avenue.
First City Court Clerk Austin Badon said the notice required Major to leave by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Investigators alleged that Major, who had previously “threatened the lives” of the landlord’s family, angrily fled the courtroom. On Monday night, at least two people saw Major leaving her unit about 8:40 p.m. and noticed a glow through Major's front window, according to investigators.
When the light grew brighter and bigger, one of the witnesses realized it was actually a fire, and the other began warning the rest of the people who lived there to get out as the blaze spread, officials said.
A third person living at the building heard screaming outside and saw a fire in Major’s apartment but didn’t emerge in time to see anyone fleeing the unit, authorities said.
After speaking to the witnesses, investigators obtained a warrant to arrest Major on suspicion of aggravated arson. She could face between two years and 20 years in prison if eventually convicted of intentionally setting the fire.
When firefighters responded to the blaze Monday night, they found flames and thick, black smoke had engulfed most of the brick, U-shaped building. Several residents covered themselves with towels and blankets as they fled.
Twenty-six residents in 20 of the building’s 25 units got out unharmed, and the nearly 70 firefighters on the scene prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes. But a dog belonging to one of the residents died, a New Orleans Fire Department spokesperson said.
The fire was brought under control by about 11:10 p.m.
Katy Sandusky of the American Red Cross said her organization gave each of the displaced residents vouchers for hotel rooms, food and clothes. They also received information about longer-term assistance, Sandusky said.
One of the displaced tenants, Todd Toups, said Tuesday morning that he had heard people arguing loudly shortly before the fire.
“Then I heard a boom, and the fire trucks started to come down the street,” Toups said.
Toups, who had arranged to stay at a relative’s house on the West Bank, said he was just glad no people had been killed.
He was waiting on a call from his landlord to let him know when he could head back to see what of his possessions he could salvage and how long he might stay displaced.
Toups was hopeful that he hadn’t lost too much because his apartment was on the opposite side of the complex form where the fire had started. But he said he felt bad for his neighbors who were in units that were badly burned, especially those who might be struggling financially or otherwise due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I feel sorry for those people,” Toups said. “I’m OK right now. I’m just … evaluating what to do next.”
According to a report she received an eviction notice earlier that day.
Woman facing eviction from New Orleans apartment allegedly set the building on fire
According to a report from our partners at The New Orleans Advocate | Times Picayune, Major received an eviction notice earlier that day.
www.wwltv.com
Woman facing eviction from Central City apartment complex set building on fire, investigators say
A woman facing eviction from her Central City apartment building allegedly torched the 25-unit complex Monday night before fleeing to Texas, according to investigators.
A woman facing eviction from her Central City apartment building allegedly torched the 25-unit complex Monday night before fleeing to Texas, according to investigators.
Jazlynn Major, 25, was arrested Tuesday by police in Hunstville, Texas, on a warrant accusing her of 26 counts of aggravated arson following the three-alarm blaze at the Amies Paradise apartments that killed a dog and displaced 26 residents.
According to investigators, the fire occurred several hours after Major appeared in New Orleans city court and received a 24-hour eviction notice from the complex in the 1600 block of Washington Avenue.
First City Court Clerk Austin Badon said the notice required Major to leave by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Investigators alleged that Major, who had previously “threatened the lives” of the landlord’s family, angrily fled the courtroom. On Monday night, at least two people saw Major leaving her unit about 8:40 p.m. and noticed a glow through Major's front window, according to investigators.
When the light grew brighter and bigger, one of the witnesses realized it was actually a fire, and the other began warning the rest of the people who lived there to get out as the blaze spread, officials said.
A third person living at the building heard screaming outside and saw a fire in Major’s apartment but didn’t emerge in time to see anyone fleeing the unit, authorities said.
After speaking to the witnesses, investigators obtained a warrant to arrest Major on suspicion of aggravated arson. She could face between two years and 20 years in prison if eventually convicted of intentionally setting the fire.
When firefighters responded to the blaze Monday night, they found flames and thick, black smoke had engulfed most of the brick, U-shaped building. Several residents covered themselves with towels and blankets as they fled.
Twenty-six residents in 20 of the building’s 25 units got out unharmed, and the nearly 70 firefighters on the scene prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes. But a dog belonging to one of the residents died, a New Orleans Fire Department spokesperson said.
The fire was brought under control by about 11:10 p.m.
Katy Sandusky of the American Red Cross said her organization gave each of the displaced residents vouchers for hotel rooms, food and clothes. They also received information about longer-term assistance, Sandusky said.
One of the displaced tenants, Todd Toups, said Tuesday morning that he had heard people arguing loudly shortly before the fire.
“Then I heard a boom, and the fire trucks started to come down the street,” Toups said.
Toups, who had arranged to stay at a relative’s house on the West Bank, said he was just glad no people had been killed.
He was waiting on a call from his landlord to let him know when he could head back to see what of his possessions he could salvage and how long he might stay displaced.
Toups was hopeful that he hadn’t lost too much because his apartment was on the opposite side of the complex form where the fire had started. But he said he felt bad for his neighbors who were in units that were badly burned, especially those who might be struggling financially or otherwise due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I feel sorry for those people,” Toups said. “I’m OK right now. I’m just … evaluating what to do next.”
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