Abbeville man arrested for allegedly setting his house on fire

State Fire Marshal (SFM) deputies arrested an Abbeville man for defrauding an insurance company by intentionally setting fire to his home.
Last week, State Fire Marshal deputies arrested Jonathan D. Lovett (44) of 9437 Louisiana Highway 343, Abbeville and booked him into the Vermilion Parish Jail today on a charge of Arson with Intent to Defraud.
The investigation revealed that on March 21, 2025, the Meaux Nunez Volunteer Fire Department responded at 8 p.m. to a house fire in the 9400 block Louisiana Highway 343, Abbeville. When they arrived, they found the laundry room on fire. They quickly extinguished it. The fire caused minimal damage. A few hours later, at 2:32 a.m., March 22, 2025, firefighters returned to the home for another reported fire. This time, the house was fully engulfed in flames, and was destroyed.
During the investigation, SFM deputies discovered that the fire(s) were intentionally set by Lovett, that Lovett’s home was in foreclosure according to public records, and that his insurance company paid Lovett an insurance claim for the damage caused by the fire.
Anyone with information regarding any suspected arson case is asked to submit tips through our Arson Hotline at 1-844-954-1221.