Baton Rouge man arrested attempted murder, aggravated arson in Hammond
Published 10:28 am Monday, August 22, 2022
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TANGIPAHOA PARISH (Aug. 21, 2022)- The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) has arrested a Baton Rouge man for allegedly setting fire to an ex-girlfriend’s home while her daughters were asleep inside.
Danielle Johnson, 38, was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on two counts of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder and one count each of Aggravated Arson, Aggravated Animal Cruelty, Violation of a Protection Order and Criminal Trespass.
In the late evening hours of August 20, the Hammond Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire located in the 4300 block of Billville Road. Firefighters learned a pet dog alerted two sisters to the fire danger. The girls, 11 and 14, were in the home sleeping. While the girls were able to escape, unfortunately, the dog did not.
Due to suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire, the Hammond Fire Prevention team requested the assistance of the SFM to investigate the fire.
After an assessment of the scene, deputies determined the fire was intentionally set at the front door of the home.
Through collaboration with the Hammond Fire and Hammond Police departments, SFM deputies were able to identify Johnson as a suspect in the case. Johnson is the ex-boyfriend of the home’s owner and the mother of the two girls who were inside the home at the time of the fire.
After the teams conducted an extensive search of the area, Johnson was located and taken into custody.
The SFM thanks the Hammond Fire and Police departments, as well as the community, for their partnership in closing this case so quickly.
