Texas Arson Hotline Nabs 4 Suspects

Four San Angelo juveniles are suspected of setting fire to an abandoned San Angelo hotel and the arrests may lead to solving other suspicious fires in the area.

San Angelo fire investigators have placed two suspects in custody, while two others face arrests by the juvenile probation department. The suspects have been linked to the December 21 fire of the old Quality Inn Hotel located along the Concho River.

The four suspects face charges of arson, burglary and engaging in an organized criminal activity.

“The suspects had been using the boarded-up building as a hang-out,” said San Angelo Fire Marshal Ross Coleman. “When San Angelo firefighters were called to the hotel, they found multiple small fires had been set all through the structure.”

An investigator with the State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to provide assistance with a canine and laboratory analysis. A call to the state Arson Hotline eventually led them to the suspects that include three boys and one girl.

Two of the suspects are being detained at the Tom Green Juvenile Detention Center.

Coleman says the arrests may have solved more than one case. He said one of the suspects may be responsible for as many as seven grass and structure fires in the San Angelo area.

The Arson Hotline debuted May 1, 2000, and has generated valuable calls that have been turned over to state and local arson investigators. Calls to the Arson Hotline that result in arrests and convictions can lead to rewards of up to $1,000.

The Arson Hotline is funded by A Texas Advisory Council on Arson (ATAC), whose members include fire, police, industrial and insurance representatives.

The Arson Hotline is answered seven days a week, 24-hours a day and every caller remains anonymous. The Arson Hotline number is 1-877-4-FIRE-45 (1-877-434-7345).

Source: ATAC

Topics Texas