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“It just rocked our house,” said Suzanne Sundburg, 62, who lives a few blocks away and was working at home with her husband Monday afternoon when she started hearing “a strange thumping” that preceded the blaze. An hourslong standoff in a quiet neighborhood preceded the explosion. 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. Although the suspect’s motivations are still under investigation, Yoo’s life is believed to have been rife with troubled relationships.
Arlington house explodes as police try to search home of someone firing flare gun
During their search of the house in the Sycamore Heights townhome community, firefighters rescued four pets, including cats. One pet was found dead inside the house, the Arlington County Fire Department said Wednesday. Download the WUSA9 app to get breaking news, weather and important stories at your fingertips.
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Even on LinkedIn, he shared paranoid rants about a former co-worker and said his neighbour was a spy. In 2018, Yoo filed a 163-page federal lawsuit in New York against his then-wife, younger sister and a hospital after he said he was committed against his will. Yoo alleged conspiracy and deprivation of his rights, among other crimes. On LinkedIn, he recently posted paranoid rants about his neighbors and a former co-worker. Penn said police are aware of "concerning social media posts made by the suspect," though did not elaborate. Police officers sustained minor injuries and were treated on scene and the fire has since been extinguished.
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In 2021, he sued his ex-wife’s divorce attorneys for $300 million, accusing them of fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other offenses. The complaints did not lead to the FBI opening any investigations, according to Sundberg, who did not provide any further details on the alleged claims. "There is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident and no outstanding suspects," Penn said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Resident Presumed Dead in Arlington, Va., House Explosion - The New York Times
Resident Presumed Dead in Arlington, Va., House Explosion.
Posted: Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said federal agents and federal fire investigators were at the scene and assisting in the investigation. Fire officials do not know the cause of the explosion, said Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the Arlington fire department. Several US authorities, including the White House, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), are monitoring developments and investigating the cause of the explosion. Carla Rodriquez of South Arlington heard its sound despite living more than 3.2km (2 miles) away, AP reported. He also posted videos online of lawsuits that he filed, accusing people of stalking, threatening and harassing him. Yoo’s social media posts air grievances about various people in his life.
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The person had fired the flare gun around 30 to 40 times "from inside his residence into the surrounding neighborhood," police said in a statement early Tuesday. At Tuesday’s briefing, Jenkins said investigators have not ruled out chemical munitions as a possible contributor to the explosion. David Sundberg, the No. 2 official in the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said Yoo had repeatedly contacted the bureau “via phone calls, online tips and letters over a number of years,” complaining of fraud. Sundberg declined to detail the complaints but said none of them prompted the FBI to open an investigation.
Arlington VA explosion today: House explosion happens amid search warrant attempt in 800 block of N Burlington ... - WLS-TV
Arlington VA explosion today: House explosion happens amid search warrant attempt in 800 block of N Burlington ....
Posted: Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
“I was sitting in my living room watching television and the whole house shook,” Maynes said. Neighbors several blocks away described feeling the concussion from the blast in their homes. Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said human remains were recovered from the scene but have not yet been identified. "With social media, you hear all of the stories, and I don't know if everything is true or not. I've been following that. There's still questions," With said. 7News obtained video of those late afternoon flares from Sarah Wilhoite, who saw this happen with her roommate.
One man with burn injuries that were considered non-life threatening was taken to the hospital, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the person had been in the house or outside, fire Lt. Twana Allen said Sunday. Two other nearby homes received moderate damage stemming from the fire, which was extinguished by Sunday morning and still under investigation, Allen said. Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said police went to the home after James Yoo, 56, fired a “flare-type gun” into the neighborhood more than 30 times from within the house. “We are aware of concerning social media posts allegedly made by the suspect, and these will be reviewed as part of the ongoing criminal investigation,” Penn said. Wiringi said debris landed on nearby roofs and that electrical power went out along the block.
House explodes in Arlington, Virginia, while police serving search warrant, officials say
ARLINGTON, VA — A townhouse in the East Falls Church neighborhood of Arlington was badly damaged by a fire that started late Tuesday night, according to fire officials. Arlington Fire and EMS said the house fire was quickly extinguished. One person was taken to the hospital in “stable condition,” Arlington Fire and EMS said. A fire that tore through a house in Arlington, Virginia, has left seven people without their homes. The Fire Prevention Office is asking anyone that lives in the immediate area with home surveillance equipment to please review their video for any information that could assist with the investigation. ARLINGTON, Va. — The Arlington Fire Department has opened an investigation into a series of small explosions that destroyed a privately owned outdoor library and damaged an amphitheater this week.
Blast suspect James Yoo is reported to have filed frivolous lawsuits against his ex-wife and younger sister. The Department of Environment Services continues to clear debris, a process that will take time; continued patience is appreciated. Bob Maynes thought maybe a tree had fallen on his house when he heard the explosion. 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.
Emergency management officials said 10 to 12 surrounding homes were damaged by the blast. Stunning video shows a home exploding into flames and collapsing as debris flies more than two stories into the air. The blast occurred as police investigated someone shooting flares into a residential area near Ballston. The explosion occurred in Bluemont, a neighborhood in north Arlington where many of the homes are duplexes. As officers tried to enter the home, multiple gunshots were fired from within the house, Penn said. Over the years, he also made many attempts to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through phone calls, letters and online tips, according to lawsuits and David Sundberg, the assistant director of the FBI’s Washington field office.
With the gas cut off before the explosion, detectives are still investigating what caused such a big blast. For neighbors nearby, the explosion physically and emotionally shook them to their core. At some point, fire officials said the gas to the home was cut off and the situation reached a point when fire crews evacuated neighboring homes around 7 p.m. "I've lived here more than 20 years," she said, adding that the explosion knocked down some of her wall hangings. "I walk past there all the time. It's a little frightening to think what's going on in these houses."
The police chief stressed that the events are an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the community. 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. Assistant Fire Chief Jason Jenkins noted that the fire department turned off the gas line to the house before the explosion occurred.
In his social media writings, Yoo called himself an independent and posted ranting hashtags calling for defunding the FBI, the CIA and the National Security Agency. The cause of the explosion is still unknown and under investigation.
“Come to the front door with your hands up,” someone can be heard saying in the video. 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. Neighbours also told NBC News that Yoo’s house was in an alarming state before Monday’s explosion, with a trashed front yard and “no trespassing signs” everywhere.
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