West Side Fire Kills Man and Two Dogs

CLEVELAND, OH — Elisabeth Scott, 49 has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder for intentionally setting fire to her west side duplex. She is currently in the Cleveland City Jail awaiting her first court appearance. The charges are related to the death of 46-year-old Frank Salamone who died in the fire.

Salamone was a friend of Scott's and a border at the duplex, police say that the the two were boyfriend and girlfriend. Cleveland.com reports that two German Sheperds also died in the fire.

Cleveland Fire responded to a 911 call placed by a neighbor at 5 a.m. for a fire at 8605 Platten Ave on Saturday, Salamone was discovered dead on the first floor of the duplex and a second person, Justin Blackburn, was found with a sprained ankle. Blackburn injured his ankle jumping out of a second-floor window while alerting others to get out of the building.

Cleveland fire department spokesman Larry Gray, told cleveland.com that the family living in the other side of the duplex escaped from the fire unharmed. Gray pointed out that their side of the duplex had a working smoke detector, the other side did not. The Red Cross is helping the family find temporary housing.

Scott was known in the neighborhood a an "odd person" who also drank a lot. She has been convicted of drunk and disorderly conduct three times since 2011 according to court records. According to cleveland.com, neighbors say that she and Salamone had been seen drinking heavily on Friday night.

Scott was arrested after detectives interviewed her and was processed into the city jail around 1:30 p.m.

Cause of the fire is listed as undetermined.