A Garden District security camera caught harrowing footage last summer: an unknown man pouring flammable liquids in a mansion he broke into, then fleeing the scene after lighting the curtains on fire.
And in another strange twist, the mansion in question is owned by worldwide musical icon Beyoncé.
The church-turned-mansion-turned-crime-scene resides on Harmony Street in the 1500 block. Originally built in 1926, It was renovated from a place of worship to a place of residence in 2015 after its purchase for $2.6 million through a shell company by Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment.
On July 21, 2021, firefighters responded to a small fire at the mansion after being alerted by the company monitoring the home’s alarm system.
They were able to put out the relatively small fire, which had engulfed the curtains and kitchen cabinets, in less than an hour, according to a report released this week and first reported by NOLA.com.
No one was living in the home at the time, and police found evidence of forced entry at the front door. Upon further investigation, surveillance footage from cameras on the property showed the as-yet-unidentified arsonist entering the residence and using a lighter to set the blaze.
The report also noted that burn patterns indicated that an accelerant was used to aid in starting the fire.
So far, in addition to being unable to locate the suspect, police have also not been able to identify a motive for setting the fire, and no arrests have yet been made.
Related
