Firefighter Marvin Chase arrested for more than 30 arsons at $22 per paycheck, without pre-approval from the Fire Chief
Video: LaFayette Volunteer Firefighter Charged with Arson
NewsChannel9.com
December 15, 2010
LaFayette, GA police believe they have solved a series of arson fires of vacant houses with the arrest of a volunteer firefighter.
Public Safety Director Tommy Freeman says 32-year-old Marvin Calvin Chase was charged with one count of arson so far but more than twenty charges are pending.
LaFayette Police Department Detective Stacy Meeks, who has been investigating the arsons for months, says Chase was a suspect for awhile. Police brought him in for questioning yesterday, after receiving a tip. During the questioning, police tell us Chase calmly admitted to burning down thirty vacant homes over the past five years- all during the time he held the title as one of the city's volunteer firefighters. In fact, Meeks says Chase began his arson spree within months of becoming a volunteer firefighter.
Police say Chase would start fires, drive back to his home, then respond to fight the flames. Often times, he was the first to respond. Meeks says there were a couple reasons why Chase started the fires. "The volunteers get paid so much money per structure fire that they respond to on duty. So he was reaping financial benefit from it," explains Meeks. "And he was getting a thrill out of it.
Oddly enough, it's a reason quite common for firefighters. The Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office reports that over the past five years more than sixty firefighters have committed arson statewide.
Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Tim Sizemore tells us when it comes to pyromania, arson and firefighting can come hand in hand. "They may spend time at the local fire department, set fires to be affiliated with the fire or even become firefighters," Dr. Sizemore explains. "If you're interested in one thing, you want to be around it, whatever it takes."
No one was seriously injured in the flames allegedly caused by Chase, but there was significant loss for Monnie Loveless. Police say her home was burnt down by an arsonist in October and now officials are saying it's highly likely Chase was the one who did it. "Really, I just can't tell you what that house meant," explains Loveless. "I lost a part of history, not just material things."
Chase is also an employee of the City of LaFayette with the wastewater division. Police say the investigation into Chase's alleged arson attempts will be lengthy.
Volunteer Lafayette firefighter is a suspected serial arsonist
A Lafayette volunteer firefighter is in jail Wednesday accused of starting the fires he fought so hard to put out.
Mr. Marvin Chase, 32, is charged with one count of first-degree arson and may have set about 20 more in the past three years, said Mr. Sammy Freeman, director of the city’s Department of Public Safety.
Mr. Chase, a husband and father, has been a volunteer firefighter with the city’s fire department since 2005, the director said.
Investigators said someone used gasoline and any combustible material found lying around inside to set fire to numerous vacant homes.
More than 90 percent of the homes were totally destroyed, and police are still tallying the cost of the damages.
An arson investigator with the state Fire marshal’s office and Lafayette police’s search for the serial arsonist remained cold until about four months ago when a witness came forward.
Officers questioned Mr. Chase on Tuesday in connection with that arson and then charged him, Chief Freeman said.
“It was kind of a surprise, but we are glad we found out who was doing it and arrested him,” Mr. Freeman said. “There are 20 plus arsons that he admitted to starting in the city of Lafayette.”
Mr. Chase would start the fires, wait until the call came in and joined the other firefighters in battling the blaze, Mr. Freeman said. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the fires, the chief said.
“He gets paid $22 for each structure fire that he helped to fight,” Mr. Freeman said. “That might have been part of the motivation, but that as yet to be determined.”
Dragonater Note: Fire Depts were first invented by the Mafia in Italy..."paya da tax or we a burn a yo house down". Kosher Roman Emperer Nero burned Rome then fed the Christian patsies to the lions.
This time-honored tradition continues today on the Dragon, by a sheriff with a long history of suspected arson...
"I’ll burn your house down, set your dog on fire and there won’t be a member of your family left, do you understand me? I won’t hire it done, I will do it myself! Do you understand me?”
-Blount County sheriff James Berrong, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, Nuchols v. Berrong, No. 04-5645, July 11, 2005
Does this explain the recent fires -- and explosive demolitions -- on the Dragon?
The Dragonater has personally been threatened with arrest by a supervisor with the Knoxville Fire Dept -- "I have a jail cell with your name on it if you keep using that word arson! We know the cause of the fire. It was an accident by a contractor." This was 8 hours before the towering inferno was extinguished in downtown Kville, 3 blocks from the fire station. Never mind my photographs of the arsonist with a diabolical grin holding a flame in his hand setting the fire. Never mind the billion-dollar govt contractor burning down its HQ 6 months later, to get a free new HQ. Have you ever run inside a towing inferno? The Dragonater has...
Perhaps this is why NY City firefighters have refused to complain about Uncle Scam genociding over 350 firemen by explosive controlled demolition on 9/11/2001? Professional courtesy, or RESPECT?
No comments:
Post a Comment