Crime & Safety

Gwinnett House Fire Deemed Arson to Cover up Burglary

Investigators are asking anyone to come forward if they have any information on the fire, which took place in Lilburn near unincorporated Norcross.

A fire that destroyed a home in Lilburn last Friday has been determined to be caused by an act of arson to cover up a burglary, according to Gwinnett Fire.

According to Gwinnett Fire spokesman Lt. Colin Rhoden, investigators deemed the incident as arson after finding several points of fire origin in the house, which is located on the 5200 block of Stafford Drive. Additionally, the home's residents told fire investigators about specific items that were taken from the home.

Just before the fire, three Hispanic or ethnic males were seen leaving the residence with some of its contents, Rhoden continued. Complete information collected by investigators led them to search for the perpetrators who fled the scene in a white four-door sedan.

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"I live across the street from this house," wrote Jessica McMinn on the Lilburn Patch Facebook page after news broke about the fire Friday. "[N]ot even 15 min[utes] before this fire started I saw 3 hispanic men run from the house, get into a white 4-door older vehicle where a 4th hispanic man was waiting for them and speed off."

Fire investigators are asking anyone with information to please contact the Gwinnett Fire Arson and Explosives Investigation Section at 678-518-4890 or the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1-800-282-5804. Georgia Arson Control Inc. offers a reward of UP TO $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for arson.

Find out what's happening in Norcrosswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See also:

  • Lilburn Home Deemed Total Loss After Fire


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