A man is facing arson charges after a fire destroyed a mobile home in Fort Lauderdale late Tuesday night, officials say.
Richard Gervasi, 58, is now charged with one count of first-degree arson on a dwelling or building where a person is present and one count of second-degree arson.
Just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue got a call about the fire at a mobile home park along the 600 block of Southwest 27th Avenue, the agency said in a social media post. There they found the mobile home “totally engulfed.”
Firefighters managed to put out the fire after an “aggressive” battle that lasted 20 minutes.
Video footage shows firefighters inside the mobile home, surrounded by smoke, flames and rubble. No one else was inside by the time firefighters arrived, according to Frank Guzman, a spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. There were no injuries.
The motive for the arson remains unclear. Police did not immediately release more details Wednesday.
A resident who shared the same home as Gervasi had previously filed for a stalking injunction, Broward court records show. The injunction was dismissed after the petitioner failed to show up at the hearing.
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