COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Police said Thursday that they have arrested a second suspect in connection to a massive apartment fire in Colorado Springs that killed at least two people.

Derrick Johnson, 23, was taken into custody Thursday at 5 p.m. and faces a charge of first-degree murder. Police said he is the cousin of Gene Johnson, 36, who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Police said both men were involved in setting the fire, which was sparked by a domestic dispute with a resident in one of the apartments.

Derrick Johnson, 23, had been arrested earlier in the week on a different charge and was being held in the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center, police said.

With the second arrest, police said they are no longer looking for any other suspects and no more arrests are anticipated.

Police will not be releasing photographs of the men since it may taint future lineups if they're needed.

The owner of the gold Acura sedan that police had been searching for came forward and was interviewed but is not facing any fire-related charges, police said.

Police are looking for witnesses and encouraged anyone to call them if they saw two men walking south from the apartment complex, at the time of the fire. If you spotted these men, between 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, you are asked to call Colorado Springs police at 719-444-7000 or the anonymous tip line at 719-634-STOP.

No More Victims Found In Primary Search

Firefighters said they have not found any more victims as they completed their primary search of the Castle West Apartments but they won't know for certain until they perform a more thorough, secondary search.

"As of the completion of the primary search, we have identified no further victims at this time. But again, I will caution you all that the secondary search may reveal more victims," said Fire Marshal Brett Lacey.

That secondary search may last days because firefighters will have to secure or tear down walls, floors and ceilings, and methodically collect evidence.

The bodies of the two victims are frozen inside the charred building, and will remain inside the building until firefighters can safely remove them, Lacey said.

"Actually, the victims right now are kind of embedded in a substantial amount of ice," Lacey said.

The victims' bodies were encased in ice because of all the water that was poured on the burning building in freezing temperatures all day Tuesday and Wednesday, 7NEWS reported.

Firefighters don't know if the victims are children or adults, male or female.

There was no clear indication whether anyone else was missing because the manager's list of tenants was burned in the fire.

"We don't even have a good count of who may have been in there so I can't honestly tell you who is unaccounted for. That becomes somewhat of a nebulous number," Lacey said.

Investigators have not said how the fire started, but said it appeared to be arson.

At 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the fire was declared under control but firefighters are still being monitored to prevent a flare-up.

"The fire response was determined to be the equivalent of a seven-alarm fire based on the equipment involved," police said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said early estimates put the damage at more than $6 million.

An army of ATF agents are helping firefighters comb through the charred ruins looking for more victims and evidence.

The fire broke out early Tuesday in the three-story, 135-unit complex, forcing some pajama-clad residents to leap from balconies. Firefighters plucked 62 people from windows.

Hospitals said they treated 31 people, including a firefighter who slipped on ice. Residents' injuries included broken bones and sprained ankles from jumping and hypothermia from standing in 8-degree temperatures in their bed clothes.

Teresa Vieira of the Red Cross said they helped 131 people and had supplied $46,000 in aid. She said the victims were fortunate the Springs of Life Church was next door. An employee opened the building shortly after the fire broke out and tenants rushed in, said Vieira. Most spent the night there.

Residents who have nothing left are grieving for the lost lives.

"My heart goes out to them. May God take care of them. I am glad that the Red Cross is taking care of us. They have helped out a lot," said fire victim Goose Madril.

The fire broke out sometime before 1 a.m. The cause of the blaze was not immediately determined but firefighters noted that the fire spread very quickly and that made it "suspicious."

Lacey said investigators were trying to determine whether the complex had any fire code violations before the blaze. He said the building had no sprinkler system but its windows were designed to make it easy to escape. It had been inspected on Nov. 4, 2004.

Who Is Gene Johnson?

Gene Johnson, who was not a tenant at the apartment complex, was arrested after officers investigated the suspicious fire and received tips from the public.

"Information developed while the fire was ongoing indicated that Mr. Gene Johnson had knowledge of the fire and was involved," Colorado Springs police Lt. Rafael Cintron said in a news release.

The arrest affidavit for Gene Johnson, which outlines evidence against him, has been sealed and no booking photo was released because the investigation is ongoing.

7NEWS reported that Johnson had been arrested numerous times in the past and has at least 12 known aliases. He was arrested in December 2005 on domestic violence charges and ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault.

In July 2005, Johnson was arrested on drug charges and pleaded guilty to felony possession and served 15 days in jail. His sentence also included three years probation.

Johnson was arrested twice in 2006, both on theft charges, one of which he pleaded guilty to.

Additional Resources

The Red Cross can be reached at 719-632-3563.
Donations for the displaced residents can be mailed or dropped off at 1040 S. Eighth St. in Colorado Springs, Colo., 80906-1220. To make a donation online, click here.
Vehicles that were left in the Castle West Apartments parking lots are being moved away from the fire scene and are being towed to the northeast corner of the Citadel Mall parking lot and locked if possible. Owners may recover their cars from the Citadel without charge until Feb. 7. After Feb. 7, the vehicles will be towed to the CSPD Impound Facility on East Las Vegas Street. For information about towed vehicles and other information about the fire, visit www.springsgov.com.