A 70-year-old New Jersey man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with setting a fire that killed his 82-year-old next door neighbor earlier this year.
William Ahle is charged with first degree murder, first degree felony murder, first degree burglary, and second degree aggravated arson, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Fanwood police and fire units responded to a call about the fire just after 1:30 a.m. on July 25 and eventually found Virginia Cranwell dead.
According to WNBC, Ahle was initially hailed as a hero for allegedly trying to save Cranwell.
“He just looked, saw the flames, went in. He apparently opened the bedroom door and all the flames just burst out, he fell backwards and I guess that’s how he got all his burns,” Matthew Ahle, Ahle’s son, said in the immediate aftermath of the fire. “I’m happy he tried, he tried his best. I can’t imagine anyone else who would do that.”
William Ahle was briefly hospitalized with second degree burns.
But investigators determined that the fire was “an intentional act,” that Cranwell’s death was a homicide, and that the supposed “hero” was a suspect, the prosecutor’s office said.
Investigators have not revealed what led them to suspect Ahle in the fatal fire or revealed a motive. Other neighbors were surprised.
Authorities have not revealed what evidence they compiled to form their conclusion nor have they suggested a suspected motive.
“Everybody knows who he is, and, you know, no one has ever had a bad word to say about him,” one neighbor told WNBC.
“Since the fire, you know, I mean, we all just thought he was a hero,” said another. “I feel bad for the family. I do, ’cause I really like them.”
“He was known as the mayor of the street. Because he’s very helpful. He looks out for a lot of people around the neighborhood,” a neighbor told WABC.
Ahle said at the time that he was walking his dog when he saw the flames and rushed into Cranwell’s open garage but was forced back by heavy flames.
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[Featured image: Virginia Cranwell/Memorial Funeral Home]