Blaze at peer’s home lands Houma firefighter in jail

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a Little Caillou firefighter Monday morning after he allegedly intentionally set a fellow fireman’s home ablaze, authorities said.

Jesse Patrick Marcel, 21, of 218 Douglas Drive, Houma, was arrested and charged with aggravated arson after an investigation yielded he allegedly set a home on fire at 5608 La. Highway 56 in Chauvin, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Maj. Malcolm Wolfe.

Wolfe said the sheriff’s office was called to the Chauvin location at 11:45 p.m. Sunday night. When they arrived on the scene, authorities learned that the home belonged to fireman Whyley Pellegrin, also with the Little Caillou Fire Department. Pellegrin and his wife were both able to escape the home without injury, Wolfe said.

After fleeing the residence, the sheriff’s office said Pellegrin contacted the Little Caillou Fire Department, which is next door to his residence, and two on-call firemen extinguished the fire.

After investigating the fire, authorities say they identified Marcel as a suspect. Marcel was one of the on-call firemen at the time of the blaze, Wolfe said.

After being questioned, Marcel allegedly admitted to setting Pellegrin’s shed on fire before returning to the fire station and going to bed, authorities said. Marcel allegedly said he did not tell Pellegrin of the fire, but did not intend for the fire to get out of control and spread to Pellegrin’s home, Wolfe said.

Following the investigation, Marcel was arrested.

He is currently being held in the Terrebonne Parish Jail on a $1 million bond. If convicted, Marcel could serve up to 20 years in prison.

Wolfe said a motive for Marcel’s action had yet to be determined as of presstime.

Detectives are continuing this investigation and authorities are encouraging anyone with information about the crime to call the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office detective bureau at (985) 876-2500.