Serial Arsonist Strikes D.C. Area
Investigators are hunting a serial arsonist who has spread fear in the Washington D.C. area by striking in the dead of night and only setting fire to occupied homes and apartments.
Five of 22 suspicious fires in Washington and Prince George's County, Md., since March have been conclusively linked. Investigators are testing evidence from the 17 other suspicious fires to see if they are related.
All the fires were set with a flammable liquid, happened overnight and at a residential dwelling, often while residents slept inside, investigators said. One woman died in a June 5 blaze in Northeast Washington and seven people have suffered minor injuries in other fires.
The Washington Post reports that the rash of fires has made many residents extremely apprehensive. Some have taken to leaving their porch lights on all night, or even standing watch. Fourteen of the 22 fires took place between 4 and 5 a.m.
The newspaper said the arsonist appears to be expanding the area where he or she strikes.
"As they gain confidence that they're not going to be caught, they go out in concentric circles," broadening their reach, Robert Corry, former chief fire marshal for Massachusetts, told the newspaper.
The Post interviewed experts who said capturing the arsonist may well be difficult because serial arsonists often work alone and rarely talk about their crimes to others.
"The person or persons who are committing these crimes have to be stopped before they do more harm to neighborhoods, to communities, to families, to our region," D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams said. "They're putting our residents at risk and just as importantly putting our firefighters at risk."
Authorities have released a composite sketch of a man they described as a potential witness. The man was seen riding a bike at the time of a fire on Randolph Street in Northeast Washington.
Firefighters were going door-to-door handing out fliers with tips on how to protect a house from arson. The flier also lists the kinds of clues investigators need to catch a suspect.
"You have to call 911 if you see suspicious activity that is an emergency or call the tip line if you have any information," Williams said.
A reward also is being offered.
In a related development, two daughters who lost their mother in a fire last month are urging the public to help authorities catch the arsonist.
Lou Edna Jones, 86, died inside her D.C. home on June 5.
Speaking Monday on NBC's "Today" show, Sharon Lightfoot said the investigation has dragged on for far too long. She's appealing to residents to be on alert for suspicious activity.
Meantime, Gloria James is calling the arsonist a "miserable person" and a "coward."