Three Arrested in Connection with Death of Chicago Firefighter Jermaine Pelt
Three men have been arrested in connection with the tragic death of Chicago Firefighter Jermaine Pelt, who died while battling a house fire in West Pullman on April 4, 2023. Martez Cristler, 22, and Nicholas Virgil, 37, both face charges of murder and aggravated arson, while Anthony Moore, 47, is charged with wire fraud, forgery, and insurance fraud.
The fire, which began at a property owned by Moore at 12017 S. Wallace St., spread to two neighboring homes. Pelt, 49, was operating a hose line in one of the neighboring homes when conditions worsened. Firefighters were ordered to evacuate, but Pelt was found unconscious and later died due to carbon monoxide poisoning from inhaling smoke and soot.
Authorities quickly linked Cristler and Virgil to the crime through surveillance footage and phone records showing their presence near the fire scene. Their vehicles were captured on video before and after the blaze, and they were in communication with each other at the time of the fire. Moore, the owner of the property, is accused of orchestrating the scheme by filing a false insurance claim for the fire damage.
Moore’s property, which he insured as a rental, was uninhabitable, with plumbing issues and no working utilities. Despite this, he provided the insurance company with a fabricated lease agreement and claimed that rental property had been damaged in the fire. Prosecutors allege Moore also falsely reported the loss of valuable tools, which were never in the home.
Investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set using hand sanitizer as an accelerant. The fire matched the typical pattern of sanitizer fires, which burn briefly with a flash and then smolder before intensifying. During the investigation, authorities discovered empty hand sanitizer bottles in a dumpster near Moore’s barbershop, providing further evidence of the fraud scheme.
Cristler and Virgil are being held without bond, while Moore is under electronic monitoring after his release. The men face severe criminal charges, including murder, arson, and fraud, and are awaiting trial.
