LAFAYETTE, La. — Lafayette Parish Sheriff's deputies have arrested a local man and accused him of murder in the fire that left a child dead and two people critically injured.
Julian T. Jacob was booked with first-degree murder, two counts attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, violation of protective orders, illegal carrying of a weapon and possession of narcotics.
Jacob has past arrests, court records show.
He was formally charged with cyberstalking, criminal damage to property and harassing phone calls in a May 2022 incident. The victim in that case got a protective order against him. The Lafayette Parish District Attorney's Office gave him a plea deal in which they dismissed the criminal damage and phone calls charge in exchange for a guilty plea to a revised charge of stalking. He was sentenced to six months in jail, ordered to pay $200 restitution to the victim and a $500 fine. He also was ordered to serve one year misdemeanor probation.
In another May 2022 incident, he was accused of simple arson, for setting fire to a car. He paid $3,000 in restitution and the charge was dismissed by the Lafayette Parish District Attorney's Office.
About a month later, in June 2022, he was accused of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated criminal damage to property and violation of the protective order obtained in May 2022. Records show that the Lafayette Parish District Attorney's Office dismissed these charges as part of the plea deal.
When she obtained the protective order, the victim provided text messages allegedly from Jacob that threatened her and anyone who would protect her, saying he "has a bullet" for all of them. They had dated at one time, she wrote in her protective order application.
Monday morning, deputies said they arrested Jacob in a traffic stop. He was developed as a suspect in the investigation into the Sunday apartment fire that left the child dead.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's deputies say the two adults found in the burning home are listed in critical condition.
Detectives say the fire was intentionally set, and identified Jacob as the suspect.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. No additional information is available for release at this time.
Here's the original story:
A nine-year-old girl was killed in an apartment fire early Sunday morning in Lafayette.
A four-plex apartment building called Jace Place Townhomes on Barracks Street caught fire before 4 a.m. Sunday. Several 911 calls were made to report the fire, including that there was one person possibly trapped inside. According to Lafayette Fire Department, several neighbors of the apartment tried to get inside to rescue the little girl who was later found in an upstairs bedroom, but the blaze prevented them from entering.
The mother of the girl, as well as an one other adult man, were taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries from the fire.
Several agencies, including LFD, Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department, Duson Fire, Scott Fire and Judice Fire responded to the fire. It took around 30 minutes of fighting to get the blaze under control. It was after the fire was extinguished that search crews found the little girl inside.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
