Wednesday, October 13, 1999
Family's home struck by arsonist five times
Officials mystified; neighbors fearful
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — Michael and Christina Robinson cringe and shudder at the wail of a fire siren.
The two children crawl into bed with their parents, their slumber shattered by nightmares about fires that ravaged their home.
Don and Elizabeth Robinson have done their best to console their children. But reassurances don't come easily.
During three weeks in August and September, someone set five fires at their recently remodeled, one-story house and garage. The latest, on Sept. 7, caused heavy damage and ruined many possessions.
If the arsonist is caught, the Robinsons have one question to ask: Why?
“It's like being terrorized by an unknown enemy, and having no clue why they chose you,” said Mrs. Robinson, known as Lisa to friends and family. “The disruption of your life is just terrible. It becomes so personal. We're all devastated.”
The arsons have stumped fire investigators, who have no
clues but say that the Robinsons are not suspects.
The family lost many treasures: precious Christmas ornaments, some made by Michael, 10, and Christina, 5, and others passed down through generations; the priceless Chatty Cathy doll that was Mrs. Robinson's best friend as a 2-year-old; Mr. Robinson's prized childhood toys, including a Big Trax toy tank that responded to spoken commands; and USS Enterprise walky-talkies from the Star Trek TV series.
The fires also destroyed months of work the Robinsons devoted to remodeling their home.
Worst of all, the family's sense of security has been shattered. They are rebuilding their home, and hope to move back by Thanksgiving; but even a brief trip to the house recently left Michael in tears. He said he never wants to return.
The Robinsons want answers.
“We'd like to talk to the arsonist, ask, "Why? What did we ever do to you?'” Mrs. Robinson said. “The firefighters asked several times, "Do you have any enemies?' There's none that we know of. We've had no threats or suspicious phone calls. We come from a good Christian background. We go to church.”
Arsonist was bold
What has become a lingering terror for the Robinsons began about 5 p.m. Aug. 17 when the arsonist torched siding on the detached garage — in broad daylight. The family saw and heard nothing. Neither did neighbors.
“The neighbors are pretty close on Ellen Drive, but none of them have a good view of the garage or the rear of the Robinson home,” said Middletown Fire Marshal, Charles Beel.
A neighbor who smelled smoke spotted the first fire, which caused only minor damage. But within hours, the culprit was back twice more. Again the garage siding was ignited; again, it caused little damage.
On the third try, as the Rob insons slept in the house, the arsonist tossed something into the garage. The resulting blaze destroyed the structure and its contents: two vehicles, a camper, tools and other items.
The Robinsons moved in with relatives.
Then, late in the afternoon of Sept. 4, the arsonist struck the house, torching the rear siding. Flames were discovered by a neighbor.
The worst blow came on Sept. 7. The arsonist again struck the rear of the home, but this time, flames spread inside. By the time the blaze was extinguished, fire, smoke and water had left little unscathed.
The house is gutted now— missing drywall leaving a framework of 2-by-4s, a tarp-covered roof and a hole in the rear siding.
“We have no clues, no suspects. There is very little to go on,” Mr. Beel said. “It appears that somebody has picked them out to go after.” He said the arsons are not related to any others in the city.
Reward offered
Mr. Beel hopes a $5,000 reward offered by the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee will loosen someone's tongue.
“Somebody out there knows what's going on,” Fire Marshal Beel said. “... We really urge people to help with this one. It's very unusual to have an arsonist return to the scene repeatedly. I've never seen anything like this in my more than 11 years as a fire marshal, and almost 30 years in the fire service.”
Thomas Ratcliff, spokesman for the Ohio fire marshal, said most people never have one damaging household fire, but the odds of having a series are incredible.
Mrs. Robinson found no solace last week as she hobbled around the burned-out home, her left foot bandaged from a severe sprain and her right also injured from a fall when she tried to salvage belongings.
The family also has had to endure health problems. Mrs. Robinson has lupus, and her husband was diagnosed with cancer; both had surgery recently.
Mrs. Robinson said neighbors who know about all the problems have rallied around them — lending a helping hand to baby-sit, get their mail and watch their house while they're away.
“There's been plenty of concern from our neighbors,” Mrs. Robinson said. “People care, but they believe the authorities are doing what they can.”
Middletown Fire Chief John Sauter said authorities are eager to find this culprit.
“We're doing all we can to solve this for the peace of mind of the family and the neighborhood, and to make sure that whoever is doing this does not go on and do it in the future,” he said.
Along this street of modest, tidy one-story homes, residents are shaken.
“It's normally a quiet neighborhood. A good deal of the residents are senior citizens,” Fire Marshal Beel said. “Neighbors are pretty scared.”
Neighbors don't sleep
Those who spoke to a reporter about the fires asked not to be identified, fearful of becoming targets. Some said they don't sleep well anymore.
“It's such a shame they're having to deal with this,” one woman said. “They're wonderful people, and it sure concerns me. We're worried about our neighborhood, too. I wish I had a Rottweiler or something to help warn us.”
Despite their troubles, Mrs. Robinson said they have kept the faith and are thankful they have their lives and each other.
“There's a higher power that will take care of this,” she said. “We'll move back here, take it a day at a time. That's what we're doing now. It's not easy. We built a home here — you can't just walk away. But there are many sleepless nights.”
ARSON TIMELINE
• 5 p.m. Aug. 17: Fiberboard siding on the detached garage was ignited. Damage: $200.
• 9:09 p.m. Aug. 17: garage siding. Damage: $200.
• 3:52 a.m. Aug. 18: Something with an open flame was thrown through a small opening in the garage and ignited material inside. Damage: $33,000.
• 6:12 p.m. Aug. 22: Wiring apparently damaged by previous fires ignited. Damage: $500.
• 5:56 p.m. Sept. 4: The rear of the house was torched, damaging vinyl siding. Damage: $3,000.
• 5 a.m. Sept. 7: The rear of the house was targeted again, and the fire got under the siding and into the roof. Damage: $10,000.
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