ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A house fire in St. Petersburg on Sunday that claimed the life of an 18-year-old girl was an act of arson, the St. Petersburg Police Department said.
First responders arrived at the home in Coquina Key at around 3:30 a.m. on March 22 to find a fire engulfing the home. Inside was a mother and her three children, ages 18, 17 and 10.
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The family was hospitalized, and the 18-year-old girl, later identified as Angelina Anderson, was pronounced dead. The 35-year-old mother is still recovering in the hospital, but police said she is in stable condition.
The two younger children were treated for smoke inhalation and later released.
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On Monday, the St. Petersburg Police Department called the fire “suspicious” and was still working to determine a cause.
The following day, SPPD ruled that the cause of the fire was arson. The department is asking anyone with information about any suspicious person or activity to contact them at 727-893-7780.
The fire was started at around 3:18 a.m. on 3963 Neptune Dr. SE. SPPD is also interested in any surveillance video from nearby residents during that time period.