IFN Staff

A teenager will face a first-degree arson charge in connection with a fire that destroyed a mobile home following an investigation by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

ICSO deputies responded to a request for assistance at a suspicious mobile home fire at 443 Butch Branch Road in northern Iredell County on Tuesday afternoon. When the deputies arrived on the scene, local fire departments had extinguished the fire, Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a news release.

The Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office also responded to the scene and determined the fire appeared to have been intentionally set, Campbell said. ICSO detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the location and began their investigation.

Detectives recovered evidence at the fire scene, interviewed neighbors, and reviewed nearby surveillance footage. They also recovered video footage that captured a male suspect fleeing the area shortly after the fire began, according to the news release.

As the investigation continued, detectives identified the suspect seen running away from the fire as a 16-year-old who lives in the area, Campbell said.

After being located, the admitted to starting the fire during an interviewed with detectives, according to the news release.

The Sheriff’s Office continues investigating the incident and is coordinating with the Department of Juvenile Justice to pursue criminal charges against the teen.