Neighbor, 18, Set Fatal Coquina Key House Fire That Killed Teen: St. Pete Police

Updated: Thursday, 10:45 a.m.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A 18-year-old neighbor was arrested for setting a fatal Coquina Key house fire last month that killed a teenage girl and severely injured a woman, St. Petersburg police said in a news release.

Charles Chambliss III turned himself in to the St. Petersburg Police Department on Wednesday after an arrest warrant was issued for him.

He was charged with felony murder and three counts of attempted felony murder, police said.

There were four people in the home on Neptune Drive SE when Chambliss set fire to the car under the carport just after 3:30 a.m. on March 22. The fire spread to the carport and the home.

The suspect lives nearby in the Coquina Key neighborhood and knows the family, police said.

Angelina Anderson, 18, died from her injuries, while her sister, 35-year-old Ashley Nero, remains hospitalized in stable condition with serious burn injuries.

Nero’s two sons, a teenager and an 11-year-old, were in the home but weren’t hurt in the fire.

The suspect’s father, Charles Chambliss, Jr., 46, also faces charges in connection with the fire.

On March 27, he threw away clothing items in a dumpster behind a closed business, knowing they might be relevant to the ongoing arson investigation involving his son, police said.

He was charged with tampering with physical evidence.

See Also:

• Suspicious Fire That Claimed 18-Year-Old’s Life Under Investigation: St. Pete Police
• Teen Killed In House Fire On Coquina Key: Authorities
• Arson Caused Fatal St. Pete House Fire; 1 Dead, 1 Hospitalized: Officials