Toronto man charged with 1st-degree murder following tent fire death

A Toronto man has been charged with first-degree murder after the victim of a tent fire passed away in hospital Monday, police said in a release Wednesday.

The 36-year-old accused was initially arrested Friday, after a tent was set on fire in the area of Charles and Yonge streets, the release said.

It's alleged that the accused deliberately set the tent on fire and threw various items on top of it in order to accelerate the fire, according to police.

The victim, 51-year-old Keith Appleby, was pulled from the burning tent and taken to hospital in life-threatening condition, where he later died.

The homicide unit has taken carriage of the investigation, police said in the release. This marks the 43rd homicide in Toronto this year.

The accused is scheduled to make a court appearance Wednesday afternoon, according to the release.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact police.