arson

Stories 161 - 180 | << Prev   Next >>

Police Seek News of Blue Porsche After Bodies Found

Authorities say site of house fire in DC is 'major crime scene'

(Newser) - Firefighters who responded yesterday afternoon to a blaze that authorities are calling "very suspicious" found four bodies inside the Washington, DC, home—and they're now seeking news of a blue Porsche that could be tied to the case. The fire was called in around 1:30pm; a neighbor...

Ex Arrested After 'My Wife Is a Cheater' House Explodes

William Lindauer stood unresponsive as house burned: neighbor

(Newser) - A Colorado house with "My wife is a cheater" scrawled twice on it exploded early yesterday in what was perhaps unsurprisingly deemed to be arson. Possibly even less surprising: who was arrested in connection with the incident. William Eugene Lindauer III, 31, a resident of the home who was...

Arsonists Hit German Paper That Ran Charlie Cartoons

Cops in Hamburger have busted 2 men

(Newser) - Police in Germany have detained two men suspected of an arson attack early today against a newspaper that republished the cartoons of French weekly Charlie Hebdo. The newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost said on its website the overnight arson attack destroyed several files in its archive, but didn't injure anyone. Hamburg...

Arsonist Tries to Hit Mrs. Doubtfire Home

But damage is minimal to surgeon's residence in San Francisco

(Newser) - The home used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire had a close call with an arsonist last night, say police in San Francisco. Someone used gasoline to set fires at the front door and the garage, but the homeowner smelled smoke and was able to quickly douse the flames,...

Teen Burned Alive Said Last Words to Firefighters

Hacking group Anonymous says gangs were involved in her death

(Newser) - The horrific case of a Mississippi teenager burned alive has spawned new developments, including talk of her last words, hacks by Anonymous, and the possibility of a mysterious second person. From around the Web:
  • Moments before Jessica Chambers was doused in flammable liquid and set ablaze in her car near
...

Massive LA Fire Treated as Arson

Building under construction was controversial for pedestrian bridge

(Newser) - A huge blaze that destroyed an apartment tower under construction in downtown Los Angeles overnight is being investigated as possible arson, the LA Times reports. Such big fires are always treated as criminal acts, a fire captain says, but "it's very rare for the entire building to be...

Political Strategist Has House, Cars Blown Up

Strategist for pro-solar candidate loses all of his belongings

(Newser) - A political strategist in Louisiana saw his possessions go up in smoke this week when two firebombs blew up his cars and spread far enough to burn down his home, WWL reports via Fusion . Mario Zervigon, his family, and fellow tenants escaped their New Orleans apartment building on Thursday, leaving...

Man Accused of Arson in California's Raging Wildfire

37-year-old allegedly set fast-growing King Fire

(Newser) - A 37-year-old man is being held on $10 million bail and accused of deliberately setting a California wildfire that is now rapidly growing in size. Authorities aren't saying what led them to Wayne Huntsman or how he allegedly started the fire, only that an investigator followed up on several...

Cops: Teen Reads of 'Slender Man,' Tries to Kill Family

Lily Hartwell, 14, charged with attempted murder of mom, brother

(Newser) - A 14-year-old Florida girl admitted to setting her family's house on fire early yesterday after a "Slender Man" website got her riled up, police say. Lily Hartwell allegedly told police she was reading websites about the mythical online character that "made her upset about past bullying and...

24 Years Later, Science Overturns Arson Conviction

Han Tak Lee imprisoned for allegedly murdering daughter

(Newser) - In 1990, Han Tak Lee was convicted of murdering his daughter. Now, almost a quarter-century later, a judge says the 79-year-old's conviction rested on a scientific inaccuracy—and the former New York businessman is finally out of prison, the AP reports. According to a review of his case finished...

Teen Who Tried to Burn Parents Alive Gets 9 Years

He had been disciplined over Facebook posts

(Newser) - An Ohio teen who tied his parents' door shut and set his house on fire has been spared the maximum sentence after pleading guilty to arson and attempted murder. Mitchell Simon, who was 16 when he tried to kill his parents last fall after they disciplined him for skipping band...

Dementia Patient, 81, Held in Hospital Fire That Killed 21

South Korea fire raises concerns about safety regulations

(Newser) - A fire believed set by an 81-year-old dementia patient blazed through a hospital ward for the elderly today and killed 21 people in South Korea, mostly from smoke inhalation, police and fire officials said. The fire on the second floor of the Hyosarang Hospital in Jangseong county also injured seven...

Dad Who 'Killed Family' Had All-American Life

Darrin Campbell is caught buying fireworks on store camera

(Newser) - Surveillance video shows Darrin Campbell—the Florida dad accused of killing his family and himself and setting their house on fire—buying fireworks in a store three days before the tragedy, ABC Action News reports. Campbell was "calm ... like any other customer," said a salesperson who cashed out...

Family of 4 Was Shot; Dad Bought Gas Cans

Florida arson looks like murder-suicide

(Newser) - As expected, it looks like the death of a Florida family of four in an arson is a murder-suicide. Authorities say all four victims found in the Tampa mansion—presumed to be Darrin Campbell; wife Kim; son Colin, 19; and daughter Megan, 16—had been shot, and the gun was...

4 Found Dead in Tennis Star's Burning Mansion

James Blake had rented mansion to family

(Newser) - Four people were found dead in a Tampa Bay-area mansion owned by tennis star James Blake after an explosion and fire—and though the fire appears to have been intentionally set, authorities believe it wasn't what killed the two adults and two teenagers. A police spokeswoman says two of...

Cops: Guy Burned Down House to Impress Woman

And they only found out about it due to ... stolen batteries

(Newser) - Well, this is one way to try and score a date: Police say a North Dakota man burned down a farmhouse ... to impress a lady. It was a very strange chain of events that ultimately led to this discovery, which got Fredrick Bohjanen Jr. charged with arson and other felonies...

Pet Shop Owner Jailed in Arson Case; 27 Pups Saved

All the dogs survived the fire

(Newser) - The owner of a business in Las Vegas has been charged with trying to burn her place down to collect insurance. But the reason Gloria Eun Hye Lee's case is getting so much attention is because her business happens to be a pet shop, and there were 27 puppies...

Stoned Ghost Hunters Torch Historic Mansion

Cops say trespassers got frustrated over no-show spirits

(Newser) - The owners of an abandoned Louisiana mansion are facing criticism after the house was burned down last week, allegedly by stoned ghost hunters, the Times-Picayune reports. "We made our best efforts to secure the land from trespassers," say the owners of the LeBeau Plantation near New Orleans. "...

America Has a Major Arson Problem
 America Has a 
 Major Arson 
 Problem 
investigation
Nov 25, 2013 7:03 AM CST

America Has a Major Arson Problem

Arsons are happening, but we're not reporting them to feds: investigation

(Newser) - America's arson records are a total mess, per a year-long Scripps National Investigation that sums up its findings with this statement: "three-fourths of the arsons ... went unreported [to the federal government], masking a major threat to public safety." Scripps went inside the world of arson, digging into...

After Power Is Cut, Candle Starts Fire That Kills 3 Boys

Bronx tragedy claims lives of young brothers

(Newser) - That three young brothers were killed last night during a house fire in the Bronx is tragedy enough. But then comes this detail from authorities: The power company had shut off electricity only a few days before, and the boys' 25-year-old mother started using candles around the house, reports the...

Stories 161 - 180 | << Prev   Next >>