A New Jersey man once hailed as a hero for trying to save his elderly neighbor from a house fire is now charged with her murder, Union County authorities announced this week.
William Ahle, 70, of Fanwood, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree burglary and second-degree aggravated arson in connection with the death of his neighbor, 82-year-old Virginia Cranwell, according to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Fanwood Chief Law Enforcement Officer Lt. Daniel Kranz.
Ahle, a retired corrections officer, drew local media attention earlier this year after he claimed he had rushed into Cranwell's burning home to try to rescue her.
Authorities said the fire broke out at Cranwell's residence in Fanwood in the early morning hours of Friday, July 25.
Police and firefighters were first alerted to the blaze at about 1:37 a.m. Ahle told investigators that he noticed the fire while walking his dog nearby and then ran into the home through an open garage door to help Cranwell, officials said.
Cranwell was found inside the home and pronounced dead at the scene. The Union County Medical Examiner's Office later ruled her death a homicide, authorities said.
In the days after the fire, Ahle's actions were widely described as heroic.
Ahle's son told local outlet ABC 7 NY at the time that his father's response to the fire was extraordinary.
"It's really, it's just an unimaginable thing that I don't think most people would do," he said.
Neighbors also expressed shock over news of Ahle's arrest, describing him as a fixture in the community who often helped others on the block.
One neighbor told ABC 7 NY after Ahle's arrest that "he was known as the mayor of the street. Because he's very helpful. He looks out for a lot of people around the neighborhood."
Another neighbor said they were stunned by the allegations.
"The guy was in the hospital with a lot of bad burns after he tried to rescue her. I really find that hard to believe," the neighbor said.
Cranwell's daughter, Yvonne McManus, told The New York Times that conversations with investigators caused her to have doubts about what Ahle said happened on the night of the fire.
"He told me her house was on fire," McManus said. "He says he doesn't know if she's in there, but he opened her bedroom door, and he got burned."
She added that "nothing made sense" about the story after she spoke with investigators.
Authorities told her that "the fire was contained in the bedroom, that it started right in front of her bedroom door and she was trapped in the bedroom.
"In fact, someone from the fire or the police told me at the time, 'Your mom's house must have been really insulated — it was such a hot fire, and it didn't spread to anywhere in the house,'" McManus said.
Prosecutors did not immediately disclose what evidence led investigators to charge Ahle in Cranwell's death or provide additional details about the alleged motive.
Ahle was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held at Middlesex County Jail pending a detention hearing, officials said.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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