Bloomington police arrest son after woman critically injured in house fire

Written from press release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — April 22, 2026

Bloomington police arrested a 37-year-old man on attempted murder, aggravated battery, arson and vehicle theft charges after a woman was found critically injured inside a burning home late Tuesday night near South Rogers and Rockport Road, according to police.

Late Tuesday night at about 11:50 p.m. callers reported a house fire in the 2000 block of South Rogers Street, the Bloomington Police Department said in a news release.

Police said officers arrived within three minutes of the 911 call and found the north and south sides of the home, along with the entire roof, fully engulfed in flames. As officers approached, they heard someone inside yelling for help.

According to police, officers kicked in the front door and entered the residence, where they found a 54-year-old woman on the floor surrounded by flames. Officers carried her outside, police said, and one officer re-entered the home to check for any other occupants.

Police said officers provided medical care until firefighters from the Bloomington Fire Department and Monroe Fire Protection District arrived. The woman was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital in an ambulance and later transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis. She remains in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Neighbors told officers the woman lived in the home with her son, Shandor Jackson, 37, and that she drove a tan Hyundai passenger car. Police said both Jackson and the vehicle were missing from the residence.

Investigators then used Flock license plate reader data to track the vehicle, which was detected in Greene, Orange and Lawrence counties, police said. Authorities said the information helped them narrow the search, and officers located the vehicle parked at a motel in Mitchell at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Police said a Flock camera near the scene could not assist investigators because of criminal mischief that left its cables cut and the camera spray-painted. It’s unclear from the press release who police think vandalized the camera.

After determining Jackson had rented a room at the motel, investigators obtained search warrants for the motel room and the vehicle, police said. Officers entered the room at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and took Jackson into custody.

Following an interview at the Bloomington Police Department, Jackson, whose date of birth is March 9, 1989, was booked into the Monroe County Jail on preliminary charges of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony; aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; arson, a Level 4 felony; and vehicle theft, a Level 6 felony.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing.

Under Indiana law, criminal charges are accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The post Bloomington police arrest son after woman critically injured in house fire first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.