Arson fire damages house that was scene of homicide

Arson fire damages house that was scene of homicide

YOUNGSTOWN — The house at 54 Rutledge Drive — where a man was shot to death in the driveway Monday night — was deliberately set on fire around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, said fire Capt. Alvin Ware, head of the arson bureau.

Firefighters found the small one-story house fully engulfed when they arrived. Although the house was occupied when 18-year-old Demar L. Flores of Eliot Lane was shot in the back, no one was there Tuesday night. A woman and man who told police they witnessed the shooting were among those who lived at the East Side house.

The witnesses described two suspects for police. Ware said the fire was started in a bedroom, likely with some type of flammable material. He said the investigation continues and a request to have the structure demolished will be made. Damage was set at $18,000.