A man is accused of setting fire to a home in Darby Township, Delaware County, over the weekend, killing a young woman with disabilities inside.
Aaron Clark, 30, of Philadelphia, is charged with murder, arson, recklessly endangering another person and other related offenses, according to court records.
The 20-year-old woman, who was living with cerebral palsy, was found dead in a first-floor bedroom after fire tore through the home in the middle of the night on Sunday, Darby police said.
It happened on the 600 block of Sharon Avenue. First responders saw flames shooting from the front porch as they arrived shortly after 12 a.m., according to police. The flames quickly spread to the second floor.
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Arriving officers were told by someone who escaped that there was a young woman with disabilities trapped on the first floor, police said.
Despite numerous attempts, officials said officers were unable to enter the home due to the intense fire and smoke.
Firefighters then discovered the body of the young woman inside the bedroom during their search. The firefighters attempted to remove the victim, but, again, were unable due to the intensity of the fire and a threat of a building collapse, police said.
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Investigators initially said there was a "high probability" the fire was arson based on evidence collected after the flames were extinguished.
Darby Township Police Chief Michael Sousa said a suspect was quickly developed after investigators spoke with witnesses. That individual, later identified as Clark, was taken into custody just hours after the fire, around 6 a.m. Sunday.
"He is currently being investigated for this EVIL act," Sousa wrote in a release Tuesday.
Clark was later officially charged with murder and arson on Tuesday. He remains in custody at the county prison on unrelated charges.
