In the quiet early hours of a February morning in Hollywood, a devastating house fire turned into a heartbreaking tragedy — one marked by courage, family devotion, and a shocking criminal accusation.
Prosecutors say 39-year-old Jovan Duverne, a man with a prior arson conviction, deliberately set the blaze that killed two elderly sisters inside their home just steps away from the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, authorities have charged him with two counts of murder and multiple felony arson counts in what officials describe as a dangerous fire-setting spree.
According to details reported in the original news coverage, the deadly fire broke out around 2 a.m. on February 4 at the sisters’ home on Vista Del Mar Avenue. Inside the house were Maria “Chelo” Vazquez, 76, and Yolanda “Yola” Honda, 82, who had been living together.
Family members say Vazquez had recently moved in to care for her older sister while Honda recovered from emergency hip surgery. Loved ones described Vazquez as devoted to her sister’s wellbeing, helping make sure she was safe, comfortable, and supported each day.
But when flames erupted in the middle of the night, the sisters found themselves trapped in a terrifying situation.
Neighbors reportedly saw Vazquez escape the burning house briefly, only to make a fateful decision moments later. After telling a neighbor she needed to save her sister, Vazquez ran back inside the inferno.
“I need to go back and get my sister,” she reportedly said — the last words witnesses heard before the flames intensified.
Honda died at the scene, while Vazquez was rushed to Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Firefighters battled the intense blaze for nearly 20 minutes, with about 40 firefighters responding before the flames were finally brought under control.
Investigators later accused Duverne of setting the deadly fire using a torch-style lighter, part of what prosecutors say was a broader arson spree across Hollywood. Authorities claim he ignited at least 10 fires between late January and early February, targeting bus benches, trash piles, and other items throughout the neighborhood.
Police arrested Duverne just hours after the fatal blaze, only blocks away from the sisters’ home.
Court records show Duverne has multiple prior felony convictions, including vandalism and a previous arson case in 2015. Prosecutors say the pattern highlights a dangerous escalation.
If convicted, Duverne could face life in prison without parole — or even the death penalty.
Meanwhile, the sisters’ grieving family continues to mourn their loss, remembering Vazquez’s final act as one of love and sacrifice — a desperate attempt to save the sibling she had been caring for so faithfully.
