A heartbreaking house fire in Hollywood, CA has turned into a chilling criminal case after prosecutors accused a suspected serial arsonist of setting the blaze that killed two elderly sisters in their longtime family home.
The tragedy happened in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, when flames tore through a home on Vista Del Mar Avenue near West Yucca Street in Los Angeles.
According to authorities, 76-year-old Maria Del Consuelo Alarcon-Valdez was briefly seen outside the burning house as firefighters rushed to the scene. In a desperate moment, she reportedly told a neighbor, “I need to go back and get my sister,” referring to her 82-year-old sibling, Yolanda Honda.
By the time firefighters reached the home, both sisters were trapped inside.
Alarcon-Valdez died at the scene. Honda was pulled from the burning home and rushed to a hospital, but she later died from her injuries.
Later that same day, police arrested 39-year-old Jovan Lamar Duverne. Prosecutors now say he is responsible not only for the deadly house fire but also for a string of other suspicious fires in the Hollywood area.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced on March 11 that Duverne has been charged with two counts of murder and 11 counts of felony arson. Investigators believe he may have started at least 10 additional fires across the neighborhood.
Authorities say Duverne allegedly used a handheld torch-style lighter while moving between locations, lighting trash and other materials on fire and attempting to enter buildings as he went.
He is currently being held without bail.
Because of the multiple murder charges and his prior arson conviction, prosecutors say Duverne could face the death penalty if he is convicted.
Meanwhile, the sisters’ family is mourning a devastating loss.
Loved ones described Alarcon-Valdez, affectionately known as Chelo, as someone who had recently been recovering from emergency hip surgery after suffering a fall.
Her sister, Yolanda — known to family as Yola — had moved into the home to care for her full-time during her recovery.
Family members say Yola devoted herself to making sure Chelo was safe, fed and surrounded by love while she healed.
In the aftermath of the fire, the family also revealed another heartbreaking detail: Chelo’s beloved dog, Coco, disappeared during the blaze and has not been found.
Relatives say Coco was her constant companion, and they are still searching for the missing dog in hopes she may have escaped the fire.
“We have visited shelters, searched online daily, posted flyers around the neighborhood and shared alerts everywhere we can,” the family said in an update weeks after the tragedy. “The fire department believes she may have run to safety, and we’re still hoping someone will spot her.”
As the criminal case moves forward, investigators continue examining the series of fires that terrified the neighborhood — while a grieving family struggles to cope with the loss of two sisters who died trying to care for one another.
