Children & woman were in Lexington County home when man set it on fire, SC sheriff says
A South Carolina man was charged with three counts of attempted murder for setting fire to a home with two children and a woman inside, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
Tracy Chad Russell Jr., 31, was also charged with second-degree arson when he was arrested Wednesday, jail records show.
“The Lexington County Fire Service responded to a structure fire in the 100 block of Addie Lucas Road (in Lexington) during the afternoon of June 28,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said Wednesday night in a news release. “They let us know the fire looked suspicious so, with the assistance of the LCFS Fire Marshals Division, we started an investigation.”
Investigators determined Russell knew three people were inside the house when he intentionally set fire to it using torch fuel canisters, according to Koon.
“We talked with witnesses, and those involved, to confirm a timeline that is supported by when smoke was seen and the evidence recovered from the scene,” Koon said. “Russell left the home after the fire and didn’t return to the property.”
There was no word if any of the three people in the home required medical treatment, and information on their conditions was not available.
Information about a motive for setting the fire was not available, and there was no word if Russell had a prior relationship with the woman and children inside the home.
Deputies arrested Russell on Wednesday in Orangeburg County and he was taken to the Lexington County Detention Center, according to the sheriff’s department. No bond was set and Russell remains behind bars, jail records show.
