15-year-old facing murder charges in Loganville arson that killed 10 year-old sister
LOGANVILLE, Ga. - A 15-year-old boy at the center of an arson investigation in unincorporated Loganville is now facing murder charges. The house fire that happened early Easter Sunday morning killed one of his five siblings.
The teen, whose name has not been released, was charged malice murder and felony murder. A charge for first-degree arson is expected, police said. It’s unclear whether the teen will be charged as a juvenile or adult. Police officials said he was taken to the county’s youth detention center, but it’s up to the district attorney’s office to make that call.
"This is a horrible situation—especially when it’s a 15-year-old that’s involved and a sibling that’s related during the fire. It’s a very tragic event," Gwinnett County Police Department spokesperson Hideshi Valle said Monday.
Police are investigating a deadly house fire as a homicide after the fire was ruled an arson on April 17, 2022.
Officials said crews arrived at Beaver Road at about 4:57 a.m. and found a burning one-story home.
"Once our crews arrived on scene we had heavy fire involvement throughout the entire front of the structure, it was just hidden away from a small wood line," said Lt. Justin Wilson with the Gwinnett County Fire Department. "When we were arriving on scene, we had reports of two people being trapped inside the home, a 10-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old boy."
The ten-year-old girl was Zoe McCue. Firefighters found her deceased in the home.
Fire crews searched for the 15-year-old for hours. He was later found outside the home around 9 a.m.
"During the course of the investigation, once arson determined that it was homicide related, they contact GCPD. Our homicide detectives arrived on scene, CSI arrived on scene. During the investigation and interviews, they determined the 15-year-old to be at fault for the fire," Valle said.
Father of 10-year-old killed in house fire remembers daughter
The father of the 10-year-old girl who was found dead after a fire tore through her Gwinnett County home laughs as he remembers his daughter fondly. That fire was ruled an arson and the girl's death is being treated as a homicide investigation.
Investigators have not yet determined an official cause of death but right now they believe the death of 10-year-old Zoe McCue was a result of the fire.
"I went over to her, and she told me I had to go home, there was a fire," he said. "I tried to get a hold of my wife and she answered the phone and said, come home."
When he got home, he saw the devastation.
He recalls his 10-year-old daughter lovingly.
"She kind of like take the lead and be in charge. She's a handful of a ten year and wants to be the boss of everybody. That's little Zoe," he said.
Organizations including the Red Cross and One Powerhouse Outreach have already stepped in to help the displaced family of two adults, four children and two dogs.
"You wake up on Easter Sunday and you realize that you lost everything in a fire including a child, and that is just tragic within itself, absolutely." Demi Oche, the founder of the organization said. "So, we just want to help them get back into a better place."
McCue said it will take a lot of help from the community to help them.
"Prayers, love and support. That's what I ask for. We've got a wonderful community and I thank God for the type of people who are out here," he said.
The family is asking for prayers and support during this difficult time.
If you'd like to support the family, there's a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and the family's recovery.
The Gwinnett County Police Department said its investigators will be working closely with the Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services throughout the investigation.