Duluth man charged with setting fire to townhome
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Officials have charged a Duluth man with arson after they say he intentionally set fire to the bedroom of a former female acquaintance.
Gwinnett County Fire investigators say that 23-year-old John Oh Kim unlawfully entered the ground floor of the three-story townhome the woman was living in and started a fire in her bedroom on April 13.
The woman was not home at the time, and the fire was discovered by two other occupants of the building after hearing the smoke alarm go off.
The residents were able to put out the fire quickly using a garden hose before firetrucks arrived. The room suffered minor damage. No injuries were reported.
“Arson is a serious felony crime and certainly threatened the lives of the two people who were inside the townhome unit,” Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge said. We are fortunate that no one was injured or killed and that the damage was not more severe."
Fire Investigators collected samples at the scene which tested positive for gasoline.
Kim was identified by the victim as a potential suspect, investigators said. When interviewed, he admitted to the crimes.
Kim is now jailed without bond. He is currently charged with first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, aggravated assault and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.