Smith Circle home: Arson fire

April 25. A 27-year-old man has been found guilty of four counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree arson, malicious damage of occupied property by use of incendiary material and burning caused during the commission of another felony.

Mark Liventsov was sentenced to 157-201 months in prison for setting the fire at a single-family home on Smith Circle in November of 2022.

Liventsov, Mark

A Cornelius Police officer was on routine patrol just before midnight when he noticed the house at 19627 Smith Circle as well as a vehicle on fire. The officer helped the residents and their two small children get out of the house.

Background

Liventsov had been in a prolonged dispute with the two adult victims.

The CPD officer awakened the occupants and got them out safely.

When he asked the victims if they had been having difficulties with anyone, they named the defendant.

Details

According to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney, the officer recognized the defendant’s name because the officer had just come across a Toyota Prius, registered to the defendant, parked in a suspicious manner a half mile away from the victims’ home, with its license tag face down on the back seat. When another officer left the fire scene to check back on the Prius, it was gone. At the fire scene, a pair of rubber gloves were found in the victims’ garbage can on the curb. DNA testing revealed the defendant’s DNA on the inside of the gloves. A dashcam video in one of the victims’ vehicles recorded parts of the incident and showed a man putting items in the garbage can moments before the fire began and then walking out of frame towards the victims’ house.