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Alleged Serial Arsonist Charged with Murder After Hollywood House Fire that Killed 2 Sisters
Jovan Duverne faces two murder counts and 11 arson felonies for setting fires at 10 Hollywood locations, prosecutors say, with a possible death penalty decision pending.
- On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Jovan Duverne, 39, with two counts of murder and 11 counts of arson following a February 4 fire in Hollywood that killed sisters Maria Del Consuelo Alarcon-Valdez, 76, and Yolanda Honda, 82.
- Between January 26 and February 4, Duverne allegedly conducted a week-long arson spree across 10 Hollywood locations, using a handheld torch-style lighter to ignite rubbish while attempting to enter nearby buildings.
- The fatal blaze occurred at 1760 N. Vista Del Mar Ave., with District Attorney Nathan Hochman stating, "Setting fires anywhere is reckless and extraordinarily dangerous."
- Held without bail, Duverne faces special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and sentence enhancements for a prior arson conviction, with prosecutors evaluating whether to seek the death penalty.
- The Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division and Los Angeles City Fire Department's Arson Counter Terrorism Section continue investigating, with Duverne's arraignment scheduled for April 8 in downtown Los Angeles.
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DA Charges Serial Arson Suspect With Murder
A 39-year-old man has been charged with murder in a fire that killed two women in Hollywood last month, along with arson for a series of other blazes that he allegedly intentionally set, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. Jovan Lamar Duverne is scheduled to be arraigned April 8 in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on two counts of murder stemming from the Feb. 4 deaths of Maria Del Consuelo Alarcon-Valdez, 76, …
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution80% Center
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
80% Center
C 80%
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