Police arrest man in fire that killed 2-year-old boy

St. Paul police say they have arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with a house fire that left a toddler dead.

The man, who apparently lived at the home where the fire occurred, was arrested late Thursday night on suspicion of arson and murder. Formal charges were pending, police said.

The man was arrested at Regions Hospital, according to jail records.

Police determined soon after the fire Thursday afternoon at 839 Blair Ave. in St. Paul that it was suspicious. Investigators said they found evidence that an accelerant may have been used to start the fire.

The 2-year-old boy was found on the second floor of the home.

Deadly arson fires have made headlines in St. Paul before. In 1994, a deliberately set fire killed five children on the city's East Side. Two men were sentenced to life in federal prison for that fire, linked to a previous gang slaying.

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