A New Jersey man who initially told authorities he ran inside a burning home to save his elderly neighbor from a house fire has now been charged with murder and setting the home ablaze.

William Ahle, 70, of Fanwood , allegedly told investigators he tried to save 82-year-old Virginia Cranwell when her home on Kempshall Terrace went up in flames in the early morning of July 25.

He reportedly said he was walking his dog around 1:30 a.m. when he noticed the fire , his son told ABC 7 at the time. He said his father rushed into the home and tried to get Cranwell out, but was pushed back by the flames.

Ahle suffered severe burns and was treated at the Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

Cranwell’s body was meanwhile found in a second-floor bedroom when the f

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