Arrest Made In Wilton Manors Fire That Left One Man Dead

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - An arrest has been made after a man's body was found in a burning Wilton Manors apartment.

Michael Mitchell, 38 has been charged with premeditated murder and first-degree arson.

Broward sheriff's detectives say John Young, 40 and Michael Mitchell, 38, had recently broken up, but the relationship left behind a well-documented history of domestic abuse.

On May 9, they say Mitchell showed up to Young's apartment at 201 N.W. 25th St. in Wilton Manors, killed him and set the unit on fire.

Arriving firefighters found smoke coming out of the building. When they went inside they found Young's body.

Firefighters contacted the Broward County Sheriff's Office, which investigates deaths in the city and detectives determined the death was suspicious.

Young's mother, Barbara, said her son had some troubles recently. She said someone broke into his apartment and stole his cell phone.

She said that a few months back, Young was beaten up pretty badly. She feared even more harm might come to her child.

"It didn't shock me when [detectives] put two and two together and saw things looked a little bit suspicious," she said.