A January 31, 2009 arson in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood killed 7-year-old Hispanic/Latina Itzel Fernandez and her 23-year-old mother, Roxana Ocampo, who was five months pregnant. The fire began in the building’s stairwell at 3912 West Argyle Street and was set with an accelerant, which allowed flames and smoke to spread quickly to the second-floor apartment where the women lived. Roxana Ocampo re-entered the burning building trying to rescue her daughter; both died of smoke inhalation. An uncle rescued Ocampo’s 4-year-old son and two cousins, and eight other residents were displaced while several people were injured.

Investigators concluded the blaze was retaliatory, tied to gang-related violence. An 18-year-old, Jovan Djurdjulov, was arrested and charged; evidence at trial included cellphone records placing him near the scene, witnesses who said he smelled of gasoline, and his recorded statements. He admitted acting as a lookout. The jury convicted Djurdjulov of first-degree murder for the deaths of Itzel Fernandez and Roxana Ocampo and he was sentenced to 90 years in prison.