A 17-year-old boy was arrested by the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) accused of setting fire to his neighbor’s apartment unit twice.
Deputies say the teen was booked into a juvenile detention center on two counts of Simple Arson.
In the early morning hours of October 10, the Vinton Fire Department contacted the SFM to request assistance determining the origin and cause of a fire at an apartment complex located in the 900 block of Horridge Street.
After assessing the scene, deputies say that investigators determined the fire, which was limited to one unit, originated in a bedroom.
The unit was unoccupied at the time of the fire due to the tenant having evacuated for Hurricane Delta.
While collecting witness statements, deputies say they learned that the teenager who lived in the adjacent unit was a convicted arsonist.
He and his mother were interviewed about the case, but the investigation continued, they said.
On October 19, SFM investigators were called back out to the scene for another fire in the same unit.
Deputies quickly determined this fire to be intentionally set and teen was identified as a suspect in the case.
In an interview with deputies, the teen allegedly admitted to setting both fires out of boredom.
He was then taken into custody.
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