Through witnesses and neighborhood security cameras, investigators were able to determine two people were coming and going before the fire started.
“There were a couple of suspects going in and out of the property right before the fire was reported that led to recognizing one of those subjects and to an arrest,” Baughman said.
The 16-year-old male was questioned at the police department and ultimately charged with two counts of aggravated arson then transported to the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center, Baughman said. Investigators are still looking for the second suspect, who is also believed to be a juvenile.
According to Butler County Juvenile court records, the teen suspect confessed to starting the fire. He was arraigned by a magistrate Tuesday morning and ordered to stay in the county juvenile detention center until his next court date in front of Judge Erik Niehaus on April 7.
The house where the fire started was under reconstruction, but the neighboring house was also damaged, which led to two charges, Baughman said.
A fire report is not yet completed.
About the Author
