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Deputies release videos of suspect accused in seven Lake County arson cases

By Christopher Boyce, Myrt Price, WFTV.com and James Tutten
By Christopher Boyce, Myrt Price, WFTV.com and James Tutten

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Video released Friday shows a suspect who is accused in a string of arson cases in the Umatilla area, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said the person in the video is wanted for questioning and is seen in the video breaking into a Sunoco gas station.

The Sunoco is one of seven locations that may have been purposefully set ablaze, deputies said.

A Lake County deputy also reported two vehicles set on fire Wednesday in the most recent instance of suspected arson.

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WFTV reporter Myrt Price spoke with deputies who said two new fires were sparked in the same location Wednesday morning.

So far, investigators are not sure if the new fires are connected to the others or whether it's one person or multiple people carrying out the crimes.

Investigators released a photo of the deputy’s vehicles that were set on fire Wednesday.

One official said two of his personal cars were torched. However, by the time WFTV arrived at the scene, one had already been removed.

Alfred Simmons also had his car set on fire earlier this week.

"This is very bad. They shouldn't be doing this,” Simmons said. “They could have killed me and my girlfriend, two dogs and a cat."

Other fires have occurred at a home on Wilson Parrish.

Insurance investigators were seen searching through the debris Wednesday.

Investigators paid a lot of attention to a burnt-out vehicle inside of a garage, which is where fire officials said one of the two fires were started.

A sleeping teenager was rescued by two passing joggers Tuesday when a fire broke out at his Lake County home, neighbors said.

Officials said they believe someone intentionally set the fires.

A neighbor snapped a picture of the fire that occurred on Saltsdale Road where a car and a structure were damaged.

Surveillance video at the Old Crow BBQ restaurant captured a suspect shortly before he set a fire. You can’t see the flames in the video, but you can see the glow after it was set.

So far, no suspects have been identified, but we're talking to deputies about a new task force created to find the person or people responsible for the fires.

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 352-343-2101 or Central Florida Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

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