A man has been taken into custody for allegedly setting fire to his residence, resulting in the tragic deaths of his 74-year-old grandmother, her caregiver, and a woman with cerebral palsy. Brayden Blake faces charges of murder and arson following the incident on East Anderson Road near Bloomington, as reported by Indiana authorities. Police responded to emergency calls and found the house ablaze, with a vehicle crashed into the garage. Inside, they found burn victims and an 18-year-old who had escaped, before discovering the deceased individuals on the property.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s office revealed that one of the survivors, an 18-year-old, managed to flee the scene along with a 53-year-old woman named Paula Anderson, whose daughter, Kristine Rowan, who had cerebral palsy, was found dead in the house. Mary Blake, aged 74, was also identified among the deceased.

Following a search operation, Blake, who sustained severe burn injuries, was located in a wooded area near the property with the help of drones and tracking dogs. Investigators found a plastic petrol can near the dining room and detected the smell of a flammable liquid on a chair in the living room. Blake was initially hospitalized but left without informing the authorities, prompting a search effort by State Police and US Marshals, leading to his apprehension in Avon, Indiana.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office stated that due to his injuries, Blake was confined to Eskenazi Hospital for an extended period, during which security personnel were stationed at the hospital. However, upon his unnotified release on April 1, 2026, MCSO personnel initiated a search to locate him. Blake was subsequently arrested on April 13 and charged with multiple counts of murder and arson.

During a court appearance before Judge Darcie Fawcett, Blake declared himself indigent and was assigned a public defender. He remains in custody pending a hearing scheduled for April 20.