New Leads On Accomack Arsonist - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

ACCOCACK, Va. - For almost 2 weeks Virginia State Police have been on the hunt for a serial arsonist, they believe has intentionally set twenty blazes, thankfully, it looks like investigators have some new leads on a possible suspect.

From Melfa to Oak Hall and everywhere in between, in the eleven days from November 13th and the 24th, twenty empty buildings throughout Accomack County have been set ablaze.
     
According to Corrine Geller of the Virginia State Police, "the only patterns that you could really identify 1. They're all concentrated in Accomack county, they've all occurred overnight and they've all targeted abandoned structures."

Officials aren't saying much, but one worry they have is as the weather gets colder and the air gets dryer, these fires could spread more quickly.  Another cause for concern...

"With the temperatures dropping as they have, there could be someone taking refuge in one of these structures that from outward appearances, looks like it's abandoned but it's not," says Geller.

No one has been injured yet, but state and local authorities are still asking for the public's help in finding the person, or people, setting these potentially dangerous fires.

Geller says "we know that this individual responsible for these arsons is willing to destroy and cause harm.  Proven that twenty times in just eleven days."

Thanks to tips from the public, police say they have some leads on a possible suspect, but remind residents no one is in custody and they still need your help.

"We're asking folks if they notice a family member or even a neighbor that's been coming or going at unusual hours overnight maybe showing a particular interest in media coverage or even just talking about directing conversations to the fires themselves just seems to have an unusual focus or interest in the fires, that person may have information related to the fires or may even be responsible for them," says Geller.

Investigators are still encouraging anyone with information about the fires or recalls seeing any vehicles or individual(s) near the destroyed structures is encouraged to call the Virginia State Police Chesapeake Headquarters toll-free at 1-800-582-8350 or at (757) 424-6820; or contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at (757) 787-1131.

Information that leads to an arrest and conviction could result in an award of up to $5,000 from the Virginia Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (http://www.vaiaai.com)