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Officials said they are still investigating the cause of the massive explosion that leveled the home and rocked Arlington's Bluemont neighborhood. Bob Maynes thought maybe a tree had fallen on his house when he heard the explosion. Carla Rodriquez of South Arlington heard its sound despite living more than 3.2km (2 miles) away, AP reported. The suspect -- identified as 56-year-old James Yoo -- was the only person inside the residence at the time of the explosion and is presumed to be dead, Penn said. The fire department had turned off the gas at the residence prior to the explosion, according to Jenkins, who said he could not speculate on any cause or origin of the explosion at this time. The suspect, who was inside the Arlington duplex at the time of the explosion, is presumed dead, authorities said.
House explodes in Arlington, Virginia, while police serving search warrant, officials say
David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, told reporters that Yoo had communicated with the FBI via phone calls, online tips and letters over a number of years. The exact circumstances of the explosion are still under investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said federal fire agents are assisting the investigation.
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Wilson told FOX 5 he watched the entire event unfold from the roof of his townhome. He said police and SWAT continued to urge the suspect to come out of the home but when that failed, they went inside. Fire officials do not know what caused the explosion, according to Arlington Fire & EMS Lt. Nate Hiner. Police have asked that anyone with photos or video of the area share them with investigators. He put foil over the windows, blocked everything and never came out of the house,” neighbour Tracy Mitchell told NBC. Yoo believed that a New York Times reporter he saw on television was someone who had claimed to be an FBI agent and came to his house in 2017.
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Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and came to the scene but police kept onlookers blocks away. Ten other homes were affected by the explosion, Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management Director Aaron Miller said Tuesday. The residents of those homes are being provided with housing, if needed, and other basic needs such as toiletries, Miller said. The suspect was inside the house at the time of the explosion, Savage said.
Explosion at Arlington home that was under construction
Kathleen Boyce, who lives just around the block, said she was watching the house through a gap in her neighbor's yard after hearing sirens all night. Chris White, a tech executive living in California, told NPR that he rented the house that exploded from Yoo and his wife from 2015 to 2016. The police chief stressed that the events are an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the community.
Arlington home explodes after hours-long standoff with suspect who had flare gun, firearm: police
Upon their arrival, crews found the home engulfed in flames and requested a 2nd-alarm alert to be sent out. One person is in grave condition after being pulled from a house fire in Arlington Heights. Investigators could be seen carrying buckets from near where the house once stood to an area across the street where a truck offloaded a large metal container.
Arlington house explosion investigation continues as crews search debris left behind after blast - FOX 5 DC
Arlington house explosion investigation continues as crews search debris left behind after blast.
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Penn said Yoo did not have any previous interactions with officers at the address of the now-obliterated home. The only documented incidents between Yoo and law enforcement, he said, are two calls for service for loud noise over the past couple of years. Fire officials do not know the cause of the explosion, said Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the Arlington fire department. Carla Rodriguez of south Arlington said she could hear the explosion more than two miles away and came to the scene but police kept onlookers blocks away. Wilson says he does know the neighbors who live on the other side of the duplex, however. Wilson also told FOX 5 that the neighbor is James Yoo, citing a LinkedIn profile he found on which there is a post that references neighbors living in the same block.
Information was not released on how many homes were damaged or how many residents needed to evacuate their homes. Police obtained a search warrant for the home and tried to make contact with the suspect by telephone and loudspeakers, but he remained inside without responding, police said. An hourslong standoff in a quiet neighborhood preceded the explosion. The Department of Environment Services continues to clear debris, a process that will take time; continued patience is appreciated. The circumstances of the explosion were under investigation, Savage said.
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The fire was under control around 10.30pm, but Arlington county fire department crews continued to battle small spot fires, police said early on Tuesday. Three officers reported minor injuries, but no one was taken to the hospital. Three officers reported minor injuries, but none was transported to the hospital.
"There is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident and no outstanding suspects," Penn said during a press briefing on Tuesday. Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said human remains were recovered from the scene but have not yet been identified. There has been no public explanation of what caused the Saturday afternoon blast at the base in Kompong Speu province, though there were no suggestions it was triggered deliberately.
Early Tuesday, the police had not identified the man inside the home or what his condition was. The police said on social media that residents should avoid the area, part of a densely populated suburban neighborhood with parks, restaurants and schools. With his cellphone's camera, Wilson captured video of the inferno, which has been replayed countless times on local news stations. He said he heard police announce they were going to try to ram the front door, so he went on his roof to start recording.
In an effort to compel Yoo to surrender, Penn said the officers deployed "nonflammable, less-lethal chemical munitions" where Yoo was believed to be hiding. Arlington County police have confirmed that James Yoo was the man at the center of the standoff at the Virginia home that exploded Monday night. After attempts to communicate with Yoo were unsuccessful, police obtained a search warrant. But Wilson said he'd "never seen" the neighbor, who appeared to have been living as a recluse. Right now, police have not provided any information about the suspect but an online search of public records shows a man named James Yoo linked to the residence. "It was a very, very, very loud ‘boom,'" Arlington resident Blake Thompson told FOX 5.
The Arlington Fire Department said crews responded to reports of an explosion and fire in the Viridian neighborhood in northern Arlington. Shocking video of the explosion posted online by Alex Wilson captured the blast and the fireball that engulfed the scene. The explosion tore into the sky, and the home crumpled to the ground. Officers were called to the Bluemont neighborhood Monday afternoon after investigators say James Yoo, 56, fired a "flare-type gun" from inside a home there and into the neighborhood more than 30 times. Video showed law enforcement at the home before the explosion, with an officer ordered the suspect to come out with his hands up.
Fire officials say home explosions are not uncommon in the county, and if you smell gas, report it immediately. Officials say they have heard from several neighbors that there was a foul smell in the area Saturday. A neighbor said he smelled natural gas earlier Saturday night and called it into the gas company. "There's people that burn a fire and little fire pits, maybe something caught on fire, but not an entire house," said neighbor Logan Lambert.
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