2 men face arson charges in Lexington house fire

Two men have been charged with second-degree arson in a house fire Saturday night.

According to court documents, Gregory Cruz, 30, and Darrell Jason Blankenship, 31, were taken into custody after a fire at 279 Sherman Avenue that started about 7 p.m. Saturday.

The fire was thought to have started in the front room of the house. The occupant was thought to have moved out a few weeks ago, fire department Battalion Chief Brian Wainscott said Saturday. The house is next to Thriftway Food Mart #2.

According to court documents, Blankenship admitted to setting a fire in two locations inside the building with a lighter, and Cruz had keys to the building.

This story was originally published February 17, 2013 at 10:29 PM with the headline "2 men face arson charges in Lexington house fire."