A fiercely destructive early-morning fire at the Lincoln Park West Apartments on Lynwood Lane in Columbus, Ohio, killed ten people on September 12, 2004, including two-year-old Jesus Antonio Noriega-Mejia. The blaze began about 2:30 a.m. and raced through the building’s stairway, a detail officials called suspicious because stairwells in modern buildings are constructed to resist burning. Many residents were awakened by people yelling and pounding on doors as they tried to escape; some survivors were injured and more than fifty residents were left homeless.

The fire was ultimately ruled arson. No suspects or witnesses have been publicly identified and no one has been held responsible. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continue to keep the investigation open, and Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that could lead to an arrest. If anyone has information about the Lincoln Park West Apartments fire or the death of Jesus Noriega-Mejia, please come forward.