Las Cruces man charged with setting fire to occupied apartment

UPDATE #2: A Las Cruces man has been charged with second-degree arson in connection to an apartment fire Tuesday morning.

Police arrested 73-year-old Byron Anthony Hicks. Hicks is being held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.

One person had to be rescued from the burning apartment.

Officials estimate the damage at $20,000 dollars. Although there were no injuries, four people were displaced.

UPDATE: Las Cruces firefighters rescued a person from the second floor of a burning apartment building Tuesday morning. The fire broke out at about 9 a.m. As many as 23 Las Cruces firefighters responded to the blaze. The fire was contained within minutes. As many as four apartment residents have been displaced by the fire.

There were no reported injuries.

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Fire broke out Tuesday morning at a Las Cruces apartment building, but there was no immediate word of any injuries.

Evacuated residents gathered in the parking lot of the Pueblo Plaza Apartments at 765 Williams Lane as heavy smoke and flames could be seen coming from an apartment on the second floor of the two-story building.

Firefighters arrived within ten minutes of the fire being reported about 9 a.m. to try and knock it down; it wasn't immediately known what ignited the blaze.

No further details were available.