Duson Man Arrested in Arson Murder of 9-Year-Old in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, La. — A 28-year-old man is in jail on a first-degree murder charge after detectives determined the Sunday morning fire on Barracks Street that killed a 9-year-old child was intentionally set.

According to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, investigators identified Julian Jacob, 28, as a suspect in the May 3 fire in the 100 block of Barracks Street, in an unincorporated area of Duson. Deputies spotted Jacob driving a vehicle and arrested him during a traffic stop.

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What Lafayette Parish Investigators Determined

LPSO and multiple emergency response agencies responded to the residential fire on Sunday morning. After crews extinguished the flames, search teams found a 9-year-old child dead inside the home. Two adults suffered injuries in the fire and were hospitalized in critical condition.

Detectives concluded the fire was intentionally set. LPSO has not described what evidence led to that determination.

LPSO has not released the names of the child or the two injured adults. The investigation remains active.

The Charges Against Julian Jacob

Deputies booked Jacob into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on the following counts:

First Degree Murder
Two Counts of Attempted First Degree Murder
Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies
Violation of a Protective Order
Illegal Carrying of a Weapon
Possession of Schedule I Narcotics

Under Louisiana law, first-degree murder is a capital offense. A conviction can bring the death penalty or life in prison with no possibility of parole. Louisiana statute lists specific circumstances that push a murder charge to first-degree, including the killing of a victim under twelve years of age and specific intent to kill while a protective order is in effect, a provision that maps directly to Jacob’s protective order violation charge.

The firearm charge indicates Jacob has at least one prior felony conviction that bars him from legally possessing a gun. LPSO has not released his criminal history. The protective order violation means a court order was active at the time of the alleged offense. The agency has not said who held that order or when it was issued.

What Comes Next in the Investigation

LPSO says the investigation is still active. The agency has not released additional information about the cause of the fire, the relationship between Jacob and the victims, or the circumstances that led to the traffic stop.

Sunday’s fire is the second fatal fire in the Lafayette area in a week. KPEL News reported that one person died in a late-night house fire in the 100 block of Canal Street on April 26. That investigation is also still open.

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