DC Man Ordered to Pay $204,503 to Estate of 4-Year-Old Girl Killed in House Fire

A devastating house fire in Southeast Washington claimed the life of a 4-year-old girl in 2013. Jerome C. Lewis, the man responsible for setting the blaze, has been ordered to pay $204,503 in restitution to the estate of Samauri Michelle Jenkins.

According to court records, Lewis, 51, was found guilty of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, second-degree murder, and first-degree cruelty to children in October 2017. He was subsequently sentenced to a 32-year prison term in February 2018.

The fire occurred on February 17, 2013, at a home in the 2600 block of 33rd Street SE. Lewis, who owned the home, had rented the first and second floors to relatives while he lived in the basement. However, his relationship with his tenants had become strained, and he was facing a financial crisis.

On the night of the fire, Lewis set his mattress in the basement living area ablaze, causing a fire that spread throughout the basement and to the first floor. Everyone was able to escape the home, except for Samauri Jenkins, who was rescued from a second-floor bedroom but succumbed to her injuries two days later.

U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Peter Newsham, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the ATF Thomas L. Chittum III, and Chief of the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Gregory M. Dean commended the work of the D.C. Arson Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in investigating and prosecuting the case.

The government had requested restitution for the estate of Samauri Jenkins or the imposition of a fine based on Lewis receiving a payout from an insurance company for the damage to his home and personal property. Judge Lee granted the government’s request to freeze Lewis’s assets in advance of today’s hearing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Michelle D. Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Related Federal Cases