Man accused in Chicago apartment fire that killed 4 people, including pregnant woman

A man in Chicago has been accused of murder and murder after claiming to start a fire that killed four people, including a pregnant woman and her son.

Prosecutors claim that 23-year-old Lontray Clark put the fire after finding out that his ex-girlfriend met his friend, CBS news reported. Cook County prosecutor said during Clark’s first court that he texted his ex-girlfriend after seeing her post a selfie on Snapchat from her friend’s apartment.

That evening, around 12:20, Clark drove and his cousin is alleged to a nearby gas station where he filled a frost protection container with gasoline and drove to the apartment where his ex-girlfriend lived at night with Clark’s friend.

Clark was then captured on the monitoring of video parking in an alley behind the apartment that the couple lived, Chicago Tribune reported, with reference to prosecutors. Around 1:23, Clark ran back to his car where his cousin was waiting for him and drove to his grandfather’s house where, according to prosecutors, he threw out his clothes.

Clark’s ex-girlfriend and his friend could escape his apartment, but the fire was spread throughout the complex, says prosecutor.

Four people died in the fire, including Brad Cummings, 76, Regina Henry, 32, whose family said she was three months pregnant, her 5-year-old son Jayceon Henry and Regina’s sister, Destiny Henry, 28, Per CBS News.

Firefighters found Brad Cummings, Regina Henry and Jayceon Henry while putting out the fire, the outlet reported. All three were pronounced dead after they were taken to a local hospital. Destiny Henry was found dead the next day in the building.

After the fire, four others were taken to the hospital, including Destiny’s 4-year-old son Kyle, who is reportedly still in critical condition.

Told a relative of Destiny’s, Lustya Goodman ABC7 That she had escaped the fire but went back into the building and was looking for her son, who she thought was caught inside.

“If my cousin would have known it, her son was already out of the window. She would probably still be here right now,” Goodman told the outlet. “We just ask you all, keep the family in your prayers.”

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Clark is accused of four bills of first degree murder, four bills of aggravated murder fire, two bills of attempted murder and a number of housing fire in connection with the early morning of June 26, per Tribune.

A judge has ordered him to be held in prison while waiting for his trial and calls the alleged act a “brave breach of life.”

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