Police: Waterside Apartments Fire Death a Homicide (Update: Victim Identified, Was Pregnant at Time of Death)

Update: Police have identified the victim as 38-year-old Jennifer Lynne Pearson. She was pregnant at the time of her death, according to police. More updates here.

A woman who died early Monday in a fire at Waterside Apartments apparently suffered trauma to her upper body, and police are treating the case as a homicide:

A woman who died in an apartment building fire in Reston Monday morning may have been the victim of a homicide, police say.

The fire broke out around 6:10 a.m. at a building in the 12000 block of Waterside View Drive, just off Fairfax County Parkway. The majority of the blaze was contained to an apartment on the second floor, a spokesperson said.

The fire was extinguished quickly, but the door to the victim's apartment was locked, and firefighters had to force their way inside, said News4's Derrick Ward.

Police said later Monday that the victim had trauma to her upper body.

Amanda Hamm, a neighbor who called 911, heard a loud argument in the building about 2:30 a.m., News4's Pat Collins reports. She said she smelled smoke about 5:40 a.m.

Police are seeking information about the case and the as-of-yet unnamed victim at the usual places: Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477 or by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637, or Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

More TV coverage:



Patch coverage here.