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Development At 10th St. And Ashland St.


tmariar

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#10 and #11 overnight

The 10th fire broke out at a home around 3:45am on West 12th Street near Herkimer. The 11th fire broke out at a two-story home just before 6am on 9th Street and Waverly. That's just a few blocks away from a string of nine arson fires.

They are also reporting that they took someone into custody after the first fire.

Story from KTRK

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#10 and #11 overnight

They are also reporting that they took someone into custody after the first fire.

Story from KTRK

Well, I hope they caught the person. We were awake at 3:30 a.m. this morning because our son woke up. Shortly after that we heard the fire trucks driving up north of 11th on Tulane (or at least it sounded like Tulane from our house).

The helicopters started at 6 a.m. - they sound like they're a little north of us. We're on Rutland.

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Does anybody remember what types of houses these arsonists are targeting?

I haven't heard of anybody losing all their possessions or people actually getting hurt, so it leads me to believe these were empty townhome/patio homes that developors couldn't sell in the down market.

Driving around the 11th st Kroger at night, I strangely see very few signs of occupation in the newer homes of the area.

Does anybody remember what types of houses these arsonists are targeting?

I haven't heard of anybody losing all their possessions or people actually getting hurt, so it leads me to believe these were empty townhome/patio homes that developors couldn't sell in the down market.

Driving around the 11th st Kroger at night, I strangely see very few signs of occupation in the newer homes of the area.

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Does anybody remember what types of houses these arsonists are targeting?

I haven't heard of anybody losing all their possessions or people actually getting hurt, so it leads me to believe these were empty townhome/patio homes that developors couldn't sell in the down market.

Driving around the 11th st Kroger at night, I strangely see very few signs of occupation in the newer homes of the area.

The arsonist is targeting the run down and abandoned homes - the house on Nicholson at 12th this morning had the tenant or owner or whoever it was move out less than a month ago...I walk my dogs by that place every morning...I would say your almost 100% incorrect about the newer houses in the area though...the occupancy of the new homes is pretty much 100% - if the home is priced below $500,000 they are moving pretty fast...above $500,000 and they are a bit slow....

Im not sure about the fire at Waverly and 9th though...I havent seen it yet..but Im still guessing it was a run down dump...it would accurately follow the trend.

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Does anybody remember what types of houses these arsonists are targeting?

I haven't heard of anybody losing all their possessions or people actually getting hurt, so it leads me to believe these were empty townhome/patio homes that developors couldn't sell in the down market.

From what I've seen, they've been pretty sad-looking older houses (not newer townhome/patio homes). The first house was occupied but the residents escaped. The one on 11th was an empty duplex that the owners were using as storage. I didn't drive yet by to see the two newest ones, but the articles said they were vacant.

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CSI would have had this solved 8 fires ago... this is getting ridiculous.

This guy has balls... setting a 2nd fire a few blocks away from where the cops and firemen are still convened at the first fire ?! I bet this guy lives in the immediate area.. perhaps he's even the first arson victim.. there's always a twist in stories like this.

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CSI would have had this solved 8 fires ago... this is getting ridiculous.

This guy has balls... setting a 2nd fire a few blocks away from where the cops and firemen are still convened at the first fire ?! I bet this guy lives in the immediate area.. perhaps he's even the first arson victim.. there's always a twist in stories like this.

I agree that it is a person or persons that live in the area - perhaps in one of the dated apartment buildings, is in their late teens/20's and may still live with their parents.

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just a few minutes ago an unmarked car/plain clothes cop (badge around his neck) "pulled over" a guy riding his bike down the street next to the regions bank, Allston/11th. That's a first! We don't have the constable patrol program over here and so I suspect investigators are out trying to figure out this arson thing.

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just a few minutes ago an unmarked car/plain clothes cop (badge around his neck) "pulled over" a guy riding his bike.....

The guy they arrested last night was on a bike, but he was on his way home from work and made the mistake of riding by the scene to see what all the fuss was about. This is second hand info from a mutual friend. So they are looking for a bike rider....very interesting....developer, teenager, biker...

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The guy they arrested last night was on a bike, but he was on his way home from work and made the mistake of riding by the scene to see what all the fuss was about. This is second hand info from a mutual friend. So they are looking for a bike rider....very interesting....developer, teenager, biker, la chupacabra...

Corrected.

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just a few minutes ago an unmarked car/plain clothes cop (badge around his neck) "pulled over" a guy riding his bike down the street next to the regions bank, Allston/11th. That's a first! We don't have the constable patrol program over here and so I suspect investigators are out trying to figure out this arson thing.

The last day or so I have seen many law enforcement officers sitting in their trucks, driving about. They are watching. But it seems he knows where they are watching, and moves just out of range. cat and mouse.

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I agree that it is a person or persons that live in the area - perhaps in one of the dated apartment buildings, is in their late teens/20's and may still live with their parents.

Who was also an abused bed-wetter...

Quit arson about

or does that only work in Brit-speak?

um, only Brit-speak. I'm going there next week though, I'll try that one out.

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A summary of the fires as best as I could piece them together quickly from the news articles:

08/11/09 - TUE “The first fire started in the empty half of a duplex that used to stand near West 10th and Ashford. From there, it spread to other half, and neighbors say it destroyed the home where a family of four lived. A week later, there have been two more fires and neighbors are worried this isn't over. At Antonio Quintanilla's house, workers are replacing the windows, which he says shattered Tuesday morning as firefighters battled a blaze next door. The flames nearly reached the room where his 10-year-old daughter, Gisel, normally sleeps.”

08/15/09 - SAT “Saturday morning, this same duplex caught fire for a second time.”

08/16/09 - SUN “And early Sunday morning, neighbors say they woke up again to see firefighters at work.”

08/21/09 - FRI “After the duplex caught fire three times in a little over a week, the city tore the structure down. But early Friday morning, a scrap heap that was left behind caught fire again. . . . A woman and her two kids were living at the duplex when it caught fire for the first time about 10 days ago. Fortunately, they got out safely.”

08/28/09 - FRI “This was the fifth time they've been called to the same location on Ashland at 10th Street. Investigators say someone keeps setting the rubble from an old house on fire.”

??/??/?? - ??? Converted garage in the area set on fire

08/31/09 - MON “The fire broke out at a home on Ashland Street near 11th Street shortly after midnight Monday. The home is next door to another house that was set on fire. The pile of debris left from those fires was also set on fire several time, Houston firefighters said. A converted garage in the area has also been set on fire, officials said.”

09/08/09 - TUE “‘Our arsonist is getting more bold with his fire setting,’ Chief Fire Investigator Allison Stein said. ‘First he was setting fire to vacant structures or sheds. Now he’s setting them to occupied residences.’ . . . The last fire was set on Tuesday, but the flames never took off, investigators said. . . . Sally Walden said the most recent fire broke out right outside her window as her 2-month-old baby slept inside.”

09/14/09 - MON “This fire began around 5 a.m. Monday at an unoccupied garage apartment on 11th Street. No one was hurt.”

09/16/09 - WED “The most recent was just yesterday when arson investigators say the arsonist tried to set fire to an occupied home. That fire failed to start but the implication is clear.”

09/17/09 - THU “Wilson has not lived in this Heights home for at least a year, but had 48 years of memories, along with antique furniture inside when it caught fire early this morning. ‘Why? Why would they do such things? I just don't understand it and there are so many other houses they say have been burned down here,’ she said. After two more overnight fires in the Heights, Wilson's former home at 12th Street and Herkimer around 3:45am and another house fire, around 6am just a few blocks away at 9th Street and Waverly both are under investigation this morning as arson.”

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the person definitely lives around here. or works, at least. one of the things about arsonists is they get the high from watching it burn. that's why the guy was only a couple blocks away this morning. i hope that second fire was enough, and excuse the pun, to really put a fire under the investigation. it's like he was laughing at them.

my husband's money is on the chupacabra.

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The Chronicle has now done a more in-depth piece, with addresses of the fires, details about a suspect, etc.

did anyone else read it like this: the guy they questioned at the 1st fire was possibly NOT kept in custody and could have lit the 2nd fire 2 hours later? it said they questioned him as a person of interest but not that they arrested him... just curious.

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did anyone else read it like this: the guy they questioned at the 1st fire was possibly NOT kept in custody and could have lit the 2nd fire 2 hours later? it said they questioned him as a person of interest but not that they arrested him... just curious.

I've got the same question. I haven't seen a report yet where it's clear whether the guy was in police custody at the time of the second fire, and I'd think the reporters would anticipate that would be a question on people's minds... If they can't find out the answer, I wish they'd at least note that fact instead of glossing over it by not addressing it.

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did anyone else read it like this: the guy they questioned at the 1st fire was possibly NOT kept in custody and could have lit the 2nd fire 2 hours later? it said they questioned him as a person of interest but not that they arrested him... just curious.

I heard they arrested the guy on narcotics possession. He was not deemed to be involved with the fires, however. He was a person of interest who was questioned about the fires because he was out and about. He was probably frisked, and...oops!

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I heard they arrested the guy on narcotics possession. He was not deemed to be involved with the fires, however. He was a person of interest who was questioned about the fires because he was out and about. He was probably frisked, and...oops!

That was sort of the sense I got, so I bet you heard right.

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