Man Charged in Fatal Lombard House Fire

Paula Morgan, 24, died in Sunday morning house fire

UPDATE: Suspect Denied Bond...

A west suburban man was charged Tuesday with setting a fire that left a woman dead and another person injured early Sunday in Lombard.

Todd Mandoline, 23, of Villa Park, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated arson, one count of arson and one count of criminal damage to property, according to DuPage County prosecutors.

He is accused of setting a fire that killed 24-year-old Paula Morgan in the 1000 block of South Ahrens Avenue in Lombard early Sunday.

Firefighters responded just before 4 a.m. and found the home and car parked in the driveway engulfed in flames, a release from the Village of Lombard said.

Two people were initially rescued from the second floor of the home, but Morgan was pronounced dead at 4:45 a.m. at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Firefighters from seven departments assisted in extinguishing the blaze, which caused more than $275,000 damage to the home.
 
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on July 24, 2012.

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