26-Year-Old Charged for New Year’s Eve House Fire in Rochester
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A 26-year-old man has been charged in connection with a Rochester house fire that started on New Year’s Eve.
Read More: One Person Taken to St. Mary's Hospital Following New Year's Eve Fire in Rochester
The Rochester Fire Department responded to the blaze around 10 p.m. Firefighters saw flames coming from the entry way of the home in the 3600 block of Nottingham Dr. NW.
Crews extinguished the fire and conducted a search of the home. The fire damaged the entry way and caused smoke damage throughout the home, the fire department said.
One person was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for an evaluation of burn injuries.
Rochester Man Facing Arson Charge for New Year's Eve House Fire
A criminal complaint, filed in Olmsted County Court Friday, identified the person transported as Anukone Jordan Somphanith. The complaint says Somphanith was the sole occupant at the time of the fire and that he was in the home’s backyard.
Rochester police officers responding to the fire found Somphanith with injuries to his feet. He was also displaying signs of impairment, the complaint says.
The court document says Somphanith gave an inconsistent statement to law enforcement.
An investigation conducted by the Rochester Fire Department found “suspicious burn marks” that indicated two fires had started in an upstairs bedroom of the split level home.
The bedroom door was closed when crews entered the home and the investigation determined the entry way fire did not spread to the bathroom, according to the court document.
The complaint also says firefighters found a burnt gas can in the residence’s living room.
Somphanith is charged with first-degree arson. He is being held on $30,000 bail and is due back in court next month.
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