Two people were arrested early Thursday for reported insurance fraud and are being investigated in possible connection with a fire at a Gainesville apartment complex.
The fire, which Gainesville Police have ruled an arson, occurred after 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Southwest Villas, located at 3643 SW 20th Ave.
Police asked that the names and pictures of the man, a 22-year-old self-described fitness trainer, and woman, a 21-year-old College of Central Florida student, not be released due to their possible involvement in the fire.
Both were residents of building 1200, where the fire started. Authorities ruled the fire arson after they found two marine gasoline tanks and smelled gasoline.
Three apartments in the building were evacuated, but no one was hurt.
“I heard a loud boom sound, then glass crashing — I thought it was my window at first,” said Lily Duan, a 22-year-old UF chemistry and Japanese student, who was in the building behind the apartment when the fire started. “I saw flames through the window and went outside to see if I could help.”
The front of Building 1200 in Southwest Villas, destroyed in a Jan. 22 fire. Police suspect two people charged with alleged insurance fraud intentionally set the fire.
The back of building 1200 in Southwest Villas, destroyed in a Jan. 22 fire. Police suspect two people charged with alleged insurance fraud intentionally set the fire.
After two smaller explosions, police told her to leave her apartment.
A witness told police he saw the two residents leaving the building around 10:15 p.m., loading a white car with bags, according to a police report. When asked, the man and woman said they had left to do laundry and returned about an hour after the fire was put out. They refused to let police look in the car, which was filled with personal items, according to the report.
The woman — the only resident listed on the apartment’s lease — filed renter’s insurance on Jan. 11. After filing for an insurance claim on Jan. 23, she was told by an insurance adjuster that she could only claim for personal items within the apartment that were lost in a fire, according to the report.
The woman reported losing $58,512 worth of items, including two televisions, a Wii U, a Macbook Pro, 420 articles of clothing, 73 pairs of shoes and jewelry, according to the report. Several of the listed items were later recovered from her car in good condition. A pawn slip, signed by the woman for one of the listed items, was also found.
The man told police one of the TVs belonged to him and that he had spoken with the woman about getting renter’s insurance, according to the report. He also helped her compile the list of lost items.
Police are offering up to $5,000 for any information, according to a GPD press release.
“Arson cases are difficult investigations since a lot of the forensic evidence is usually incinerated during the fire,” GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias wrote in an email.
Both are being held at Alachua County Jail on charges of attempted grand theft and filing a false insurance claim. The woman is being held in lieu of a $175,000 bond while the man, also charged with possession of a controlled drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and violating probation, is being held in lieu of a $210,000 bond.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/6/2015 under the headline “Fire in Gainesville apartment complex ruled arson"]
