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Boyfriend charged with murder after stabbing his girlfriend and starting E. Biddle Street house fire

Posted at 5:10 PM, Jul 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-12 17:10:01-04

BALTIMORE — Baltimore Police have arrested the suspect that's responsible for stabbing and deliberately setting a fatal house fire.

On Thursday, at a little before 4:50 a.m., the Baltimore City Fire Department arrived to a vacant dwelling that was on fire in the 600 block of East Biddle Street.

RELATED: Fire crews said a body was found in an East Baltimore vacant house fire

Once the fire was extinguished, the firefighters noticed the body of an adult woman. They later identified her as 52-year-old Anita Cheek, of the 5000 block of Queensberry Avenue. Shortly after, the fire investigator determined that the fire was set on purpose.

After assuming control of the investigation, homicide detectives became aware of 34-year-old David Okoroji, who was at the crime scene claiming to live in the vacant home with his pregnant girlfriend. Okoroji told detectives that he stabbed his girlfriend and set the fire.

He was taken to Central Booking and is being held without bail.

Okoroji has been formally charged with 1st Degree Murder.