Bloomington resident Braydon Blake was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of arson Friday, according to a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
Blake, 28, is accused of starting a house fire that killed three people, including his grandmother, on East Anderson Road in Bloomington.
The sheriff’s office and the Monroe County Fire Protection District responded to the home Jan. 18, where deputies observed a vehicle had crashed into an attached garage, which was on fire. With assistance from the Bloomington Police Department and the Indiana State Police, deputies located Blake one hour later in a wooded area on the property, according to the press release.
The fire killed three residents: 74-year-old Mary Blake — Braydon Blake’s grandmother — 33-year-old Kristine Rowan and Paula Anderson, 53. Anderson, a certified nursing assistant, was taking care of her daughter Rowan, who had cerebral palsy, as well as Mary Blake. Anderson’s youngest daughter, 18-year-old Gabrielle Anderson, suffered serious burns and was treated at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis.
Braydon Blake, who sustained burn injuries from the fire, was sent to IU Health Bloomington Hospital and later transported to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis.
According to the release, MCSO personnel remained on scene at Eskenazi Hospital with Blake for approximately a month until they “were prohibited from being in or around Mr. Blake’s room and moved to a location where eyes on security could no longer be provided.”
Eskenazi made an agreement to notify the MSCO when Blake was released, so MSCO withdrew personnel, according to the release.
On April 1, Eskenazi released Blake without notifying the MSCO, according to the press release.
Eskenazi Hospital public relations staff indicated to FOX59 that the hospital is working to gather additional information on the incident. On Thursday, the sheriff’s office learned Blake had been released. With the assistance of U.S. Marshals and the ISP, the MSCO located and arrested Blake on Friday in Avon, Indiana.
Blake is in custody at the Monroe County Jail while the investigation into the incident remains active. Blake’s address is the home that was set on fire, according to MyCase.
