Deadly St. Pete house fire ruled as arson

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - St. Petersburg police are asking for the public’s help after it determined a deadly house fire was caused by arson. 

The backstory:

The fire broke out at a home in the 3960 block of Neptune Drive Southeast in the Coquina Key neighborhood shortly after 3:15 a.m. on Sunday. 

Four people were inside the house at the time. 

Eighteen-year-old Angelina Anderson died from her injuries. 

A 35-year-old woman was critically injured and is still recovering at the TGH Burn Center.

A teenager and a child were reportedly uninjured in the fire.

Next-door neighbor Troy Kane woke up to flames and screams on Sunday morning as the fire tore through the home.

"Once we found out that it was intentional, of course, that makes us worried," he said. "We live in a residential neighborhood and that is not something that happens."

Kane says the aftermath has been extremely difficult for his family.

"It’s a hard thing to process," he said. "It’s a weird thing to deal with because we’re so close to our neighbors."

Another nearby neighbor, Mitch Milillo, was shocked to hear what happened.

"I mean, it’s a horrible thing, and I didn’t expect it in this neighborhood," he said.

Tuesday night, a burned and blackened car parked in the garage was towed away.

Out front, charred walls, burned-out windows and a home completely destroyed could be seen from the street.

In the front yard, a makeshift memorial filled with flowers and stuffed animals sits in the shadow of what was once a home for a family of four.

Dig deeper:

Police deemed the fire suspicious and are treating it as a criminal investigation. 

On Tuesday, investigators said the fire was caused by arson.

St. Petersburg police spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez says the impact on the family has been severe.

"We have a life lost and another woman’s life will never be the same," she said. "The home is gone; the car is gone. "This has a tremendous impact on this family."

Detectives were seen going door to door, canvassing the nearby neighborhood.

"Somebody deliberately set this fire," Fernandez said. "It’s possible that a neighbor may have captured something on their Ring camera, heard something or seen something."

Kane says the intent behind this devastating fire is what worries him.

"The fact that someone had zero thought process that this could actually kill somebody or burn the house down," he said. "That’s more worrisome to me."  

What you can do:

Anyone with information about a suspicious person or unusual activity around the time of the start of the fire at 3:18 a.m. is asked to contact police at 727-893-7780.

Tipsters can also text SPPD + their tip to TIP411.

St. PetersburgFireCrime and Public Safety