Hunter/Lang
01/30/23
The Johnson County Attorney’s Office has announced that an Iowa City man accused of setting his ex-girlfriend’s apartment on fire was convicted on arson and attempted murder charges earlier this month.
According to arrest records, 34-year-old Ishmael Carter began knocking on the door of the woman’s Court Street apartment on June 15th 2021. The ex-girlfriend told investigators that after she refused to answer, she noticed liquid spilling into her apartment under her door. The liquid then ignited, touching off a large fire that trapped all five occupants inside the third floor apartment. The group huddled outside on the balcony while firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Arriving first responders found Carter on the scene, watching the fire. Witnesses and the reporting party said they had seen him inside and outside the building prior to the fire.
Surveillance video also showed Carter at the L&M Mighty Shop on East Burlington Street shortly before the fire, purchasing lighter fluid. The bottle of lighter fluid was found in a dumpster behind the apartment building.
The other people in the apartment were the woman’s current boyfriend and three children under the age of five.
Carter was convicted on one count of Arson and five counts of Attempted Murder on January 17th. He’s due to be sentenced on April 14th and could face up to 125 years in prison.