Man arrested after memorial for slain Virginia teen Nabra Hassanen set on fire

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nabra hassanen memorial fire

WTTG

Charred remains of a memorial to Nabra Hassanen.

A South Carolina man has been arrested after the memorial for Nabra Hassanen, a 17 year-old Virgina woman who was bludgeoned to death while walking home from a mosque with her friends on Tuesday, was set on fire, a local Fox News affiliate reports.

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Thousands of mourners gathered after in Virginia in an outpouring of support for the teen who was described as bright and generous by those who knew her, according to the Associated Press.

But flowers left for Hassanen at Dupont Memorial Fountain in Washington D.C. were set ablaze on Wednesday and police have arrested 24 year-old Jonathan Soloman of South Carolina in connection with the incident.

"At this time, the incident does not appear to be motivated by bias," a police spokeswoman told NY Daily News.

Police told the local Fox News affiliate that Soloman was setting several items in the park on fire and didn't appear to be targeting the memorial for Hassanen.

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Darwin Martinez Torres, a 22 year-old Sterling, Virginia native, was charged with murder on Monday in connection with Hassanen's death. Police say Hassanen was killed after a traffic dispute and the cause behind the killing was "road rage."

"It appears that the suspect became so enraged over this traffic argument that it escalated into deadly violence," Fairfax County police spokeswoman Julie Parker told a news conference, according to Reuters.