The house where 13-year-old Kei’Mani Latigue was found brutally murdered last month caught fire in a suspected arson attack.
A blaze broke out at the abandoned home in Toledo, Ohio, on the morning of Saturday, April 19, a month after Latigue’s body was discovered there after she went missing in March, the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department confirmed to 13 Action News.
The organization believes the fire started in an arson attack, though they told the outlet an official cause is pending investigation.
Footage released by 13 Action News shows one side of the house on fire, with the roof caved in and thick black smoke filling the air, as fire department personnel can be seen on the ground tending to the flames.
“We want to assure the community that the memorial items placed in Kei’Mani’s honor were not impacted by the fire and will not be impacted by the demolition. We know this is an emotional moment for many, and we are grateful for the care this community has shown in honoring Kei’Mani,” a spokesperson for the city of Toledo said in a statement, per 13 Action News.
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The house fire took place a day after Darnell Jones made a first court appearance on Friday, April 18, tied to charges he faces in connection with the death of his daughter Latigue.
The teenager was reported missing by family members on March 18. Jones, 33, was then arrested on March 23 on suspicion of abduction. A day later, Latigue’s body was located, and a murder warrant was issued for Jones.
In new court filings filed by Toledo Police on April 18 and obtained by 13 Action News, Jones allegedly admitted to police to killing Latigue at the Toledo home where her body was found.
Per the outlet, the filings state that Jones “admitted that he inflicted the wound that killed [Latigue]” and that “he dragged her involuntarily to the vacant house on Miami Street, where he ultimately killed her.”
Authorities initially linked Jones to the killing of Latigure “based on surveillance video, telecommunication records and witness statements,” 13 Action News reported.
The Lucas County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the cause of Latigue’s death was from “multiple incised wounds of the neck.”
The 13-year-old was allegedly found nearly decapitated, sexually assaulted and had her hands cut off, Brian Steel, a lieutenant with the Columbus Police Department, previously told PEOPLE.
Jones is charged with murder, abduction and felonious assault, WTVG reported. He is reportedly due back in court on Monday, April 21.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department and the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
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