BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Two juveniles have been charged with starting one of a dozen arson fires set in the city's Northside neighborhood during the past 21/2 months.
The boys, ages 12 and 13, live in Northside. They were arrested Wednesday afternoon, said Capt. Dan Rottmueller, with the Cincinnati Fire Division's investigative unit. The boys were being held in the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center Wednesday night.
“We got a tip on the Crime Stoppers line,” Capt. Rottmueller said.
On Monday, fliers notified residents of a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the fires, the first of which was set Oct. 4.
Most of the fires have been set in automobiles, trash containers and vacant structures. There have been no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
The boys are charged as juveniles with arson in the Dec. 4 fire in the 4000 block of Fergus Avenue. The fire in the vacant structure caused $30,000 damage.
“Right now, we believe they were involved in the Fergus fire only,” Capt. Rottmueller said.
The first seven fires occurred several days after a 20-year-old Northside man, Antonio Shafer, was fatally stabbed during a street fight in Northside near the intersection of Witler and Hanfield streets.
Capt. Rottmueller has said investigators are considering the possibility that incident sparked the arson fires but as yet have no proof of such a connection.
Anyone with information of the other Northside fires can call Crime Stoppers at 352-3040. Callers may remain anonymous.
