Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MENTONE - One man is dead and another is in critical condition after a fire burned Frank and Jerry's Grocery Store, Mentone, to the ground early this morning.
A man believed to be Ismail Musleh, 21, of Mishawaka, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire at 4:35 a.m. Positive identification will be available pending autopsy. A second man, Atta Musleh, was transported to St. Joseph Hospital Burn Center by Samaritan Hospital.
The building, owned by Frank and Jerry Smith, was leased to Atta Musleh. An apartment above the grocery store was not occupied.
The Mentone Fire Department was informed of the fire at 1:57 a.m. after a 911 call from a neighbor. They arrived at the flame-engulfed building and sought aerial assistance from the Warsaw Fire Department and full assistance from the Burket Fire Department.
More than 40 firefighters battled the flames until 5 a.m., when the fire was considered under control. The fire was completely extinguished by 9 a.m.
The fire is under investigation by the Indiana State Police, the Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office and by the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco and Firearms.
