1 fatality in apartment fire overnight, according to Portage Fire Department

PORTAGE, Ind. — One person died in an apartment fire in Portage early Tuesday morning that may have been intentionally set.

The Portage Police Department said just after midnight, police are fire crews were sent to the Swanson Court Apartments off Willowdale Lane for reports of an apartment fire. When crews arrived, they saw smoke and flames coming from a ground floor unit.

Firefighters began battling the blaze and ended up rescuing a resident who was trapped on their second floor balcony.

After the fire was extinguished, an 87-year-old woman was found inside the ground floor unit where the fire is believed to have started. The woman, identified as Maria Leal, was taken to a nearby hospital where she died from her injuries. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to confirm her cause of death, according to investigators.

Police said while first responders were on scene, the victim’s daughter – who also lived at the apartment – arrived and told them her boyfriend had made threats to burn down the apartment earlier in the evening during an argument at another location.

As a result, a K-9 unit was sent to the scene and detected the presence of ignitable liquids.

According to police, officers were provided with the suspect’s name and a description of his vehicle and found the suspect driving near the fire scene at around 1:30 a.m. He was detained and taken to the Portage Police Department for questioning. His vehicle was also impounded and searched.

The suspect was ultimately taken to the Porter County Jail where he is being held on unrelated charges while the investigation into the fire continues. His identity is being withheld until formal charges are filed.

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