Dispute over ‘a minor thing’ leads to fire at O’Fallon duplex, arson charge, police said

The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office has charged a 27-year-old man with setting fire to the home of another man he had just met.

Delfred D. Jones was charged Tuesday with a single count of arson, a class 1 felony, in relation to a fire at a duplex in the 1500 block of English Pine, O’Fallon, in early Sunday.

According to O’Fallon Police, first responders were sent to the scene about 1 a.m. and found the duplex fully engulfed in flames. Once the fire was extinguished, a state fire marshal assisted investigators in concluding that it had been set on purpose, said O’Fallon Police Lt. Patrick Feldhake.

The duplex was unoccupied, police said, and there were no injuries.

O’Fallon police say Jones had met a resident of the duplex just hours earlier and was invited to the residence. Others who were at the duplex told investigators that Jones and another person got into an argument.

It was later that the fire was set, police said.

“I don’t know what the disagreement was about, but his response was irrational,” Feldhake said. “It was a minor thing.”

Feldhake said Jones is homeless and “kind of bounces around town and stays at parks.” Jones was arrested at O’Fallon Community Park, he said.

“He’s originally from O’Fallon and I believe has lived here most of his life,” Feldhake said. “I don’t know the circumstances that led him to be homeless.”

Prosecutors successfully petitioned the court for pretrial detention for Jones, who is now being held at the St. Clair County Jail.

As of Friday, the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk listed no defense attorney for Jones.

This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 11:34 AM.