Man arrested in connection with Valentine’s Day fire in senior living facility

BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested Friday for setting flowers on fire on Valentine’s Day, causing $100,000 in damage to a senior citizen apartment complex.

According to an arrest warrant, 50-year-old Alonzo Duncan was visiting a resident of Cypress Springs, a senior living community on Cypress Road, shortly before the fire. The resident told investigators she and Duncan used to be friends, but he was banned from her apartment because he stole her belongings.

The victim said Duncan set fire to flowers in a pot he had previously stolen outside her apartment door. The fire was extinguished using the building’s sprinkler system. The owner of the establishment said Duncan’s fire caused $100,000 in damages.

Authorities said Duncan was unable to give a clear answer during two rounds of questioning about where he was at the time of the fire. He was arrested on a charge of aggravated arson.