Apartment fire kills one in Henrico; police seek ‘person of interest’

A local woman is being sought as a "person of interest" in connection with the death of a person who was found after a suspicious apartment fire this morning in Henrico County.

Henrico police are searching for Camille Armstrong, 25, who has two outstanding warrants for her arrest for misdemeanor assault and vandalism. The charges are related to an incident that occurred Saturday, said Henrico police Lt. Jeff Grey.

"We're interested in talking to" Armstrong, Grey said. "She's a person of interest involved in the suspicious death" of the person found dead today.

Grey said he didn't know what, if any, relationship Armstrong may have to the victim.

Henrico firefighters found the still unidentified victim inside a two-story townhouse-style apartment at 5713 Crenshaw Road off of Chamberlayne Avenue. The apartment complex is The Noelle at Brook Hill, formerly known as Brook Ridge Apartments.

The fire was reported at 6:46 a.m. when a neighbor smelled smoke. Firefighters arrived five minutes later and found fire on both floors of the end unit of the building. They contained the fire within 25 minutes. They found significant damage inside the apartment, but the fire did not spread to adjoining apartments.

Henrico Fire Capt. Christopher H. Buehren said the fire is under a joint investigation by county fire and police officials. He said he could not provide any details about the victim, including sex or cause of death.

Fire officials said they did not know how many people lived in the apartment, but the complex's management said one person was on the lease. The apartments are owned by The Mulholland Group, a New York-based company that completely renovated the 292-unit complex two years ago.

--Michael Martz and Mark Bowes