Arson suspected in fire at Brandywine apartments

By Caroline Moses - bio | email

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Baton Rouge has seen more than 30 arsons in the last month. One of them happened early Wednesday morning at the Brandywine condominiums on Darryl Drive near Choctaw. It's the third time in the last few months that one complex has caught fire.

"I want to know where that started from...where all this fire started from," says Christopher James, a long-time Brandywine resident. "We're concerned about this and we're doing everything we can to stop it. We need the community behind us," says Howard Ward with the Baton Rouge Fire Department. Just last month, another suspected arson fire burned an entire complex of 16 condominiums at Brandywine. People were still living in them. "It's just sad. You're not safe in a place you call home," said Maria Tyler.

The 10-unit complex that burned Wednesday morning was vacant because of a mechanical fire a few months earlier and the electricity was still shut off. This latest fire still caused about $70,000 worth of damage. "They must just want our apartments shut down," James says. Howard Ward says vacant properties like this are usually targets of arsonists. "The owners need to take a hard look at securing these vacant complexes or doing better securing around here because fortunately, no one was hurt. But this many fires, something could happen and we don't want it to happen."

Of the 31 arson fires just in the last month, Ward says a majority of them were vacant properties: houses, commercial buildings, apartments, and cars. "You got somebody maliciously setting fires out here and our firefighters, it is their job to put fires out, but it just seems like a needless way to get hurt." Ward says some of the crimes, like a few car fires on nearby streets, are likely tied together. But, as far as a serial arsonist, they have no proof yet. "We alert right now. We waiting. It could surprise you and come from anywhere," James says.

Fire investigators are asking anyone with information on any of these arsons to call Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP. Below is a list of arsons.

DATE	ADDRESS	CAUSE	STRUCTURE
7/1/08	1007 Terrace	Arson	House
7/4/08	1821 Arizona	Agg. Arson	House
7/4/08	3817 Dalton	Arson	Car
7/6/08	1420 N. 23rd St.	Agg. Arson	House
7/8/08	1033 N. 46th	Arson	House
7/9/08	237 Brice St.	Agg. Arson	House
7/10/08	3054 Amarillo	Arson	House
7/10/08	15331 N. Harrells Ferry	Arson	House
7/11/08	7964 Reco Dr.	Arson	Commercial Building
7/11/08	854 N. Donmoor #122	Agg. Arson	House
7/12/08	974 Louisiana St.	Arson	House
7/12/08	1342 Carr Ally	Arson	House
7/14/08	8770 Elm Grove Garden	Arson	Car
7/14/08	5021 McCelland Dr. #102	Agg. Arson	Apartment
7/17/08	5404 Sycamore	Agg. Arson	House
7/18/08	4865 Sycamore	Arson	House
7/19/08	19th & Corarie	Arson	Car
7/19/08	1724 Gracie	Arson	House
7/19/08	10950 Darryl Apt. 166	Arson	Apartment
7/19/08	1624 Pocahontas	Arson	House
7/19/08	3085 Gracie	Arson	House
7/20/08	1468 Monto Sano	Arson	Car
7/20/08	5748 Adams	Arson	House
7/20/08	3231 Voss	Arson	House
7/22/08	985 Monet Drive #106	Agg. Arson	House
7/25/08	7000 Plank	Arson	Car
7/27/08	5941 Heidel Ave.	Att. Agg. Arson	House
7/28/08	9428 Brookline	Arson	Commercial Building
7/31/08	1229 Drehr Ave.	Arson	Car
7/31/08	2195 Kleinart	Arson	Car
7/31/08	2215 Broussard Ave.	Arson	Car