A woman has been charged with murder in a Kingsessing fire that killed a man and injured 4 others
District Attorney Larry Krasner has also charged Chardae Sapp with arson and other crimes related to a February blaze.
The Philadelphia district attorney’s office has charged a woman with murder and other crimes for her alleged involvement in a fire in February in the city’s Kingsessing neighborhood.
Chardae Sapp, 34, was charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, arson, causing or risking a catastrophe, and two misdemeanors, District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office said Friday.
The charges date back to a fire at a house on the 5400 block of Regent Street on Feb. 4 around 1:40 a.m., prosecutors said. Four people were taken to the hospital for treatment. Twenty-six-year-old Raymond Bell, found unresponsive in a bedroom, died as a result of the blaze.
Fire marshals determined that the fire was deliberately set and began in a second-floor bedroom “when an open flame was applied to available combustibles consisting of bedding and mattress materials,” the District Attorney’s office said.
“This is a terrible tragedy that should have never happened and could have been even deadlier if the fire had spread faster,” Krasner said in a statement, thanking first responders for their roles in the investigation. “Our office looks forward to pursuing a fair and just outcome in this case and continuing to support the co-survivors.”
