According to St. Tammany Fire District 3 Chief Chuck Flynn, the teen was apprehended after he was caught on video setting one of the fires at 26113 Birch St. on Sept. 15 about 3:41 p.m. Flynn said the boy’s face was clearly visible as he removed a tape from the camera as an internal device continued to record the scene.
“He thought taking that tape out would take care of it, but it was just a home movie the owner had in there,” said Flynn. “He looked right at the camera, and it filmed the entire thing.”
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Flynn said the boy had closed the door to the heavily carpeted bedroom, and this effectively sealed off the room and allowed the fire to smother itself out.
Chief Arson Investigator Mark Reech of the state Fire Marshal’s office said after he was taken into custody, the suspect confessed to starting a second fire the following evening in an abandoned house at 27219 Sycamore St.
The Birch Street house was occupied, although no one was home at the time, and the boy admitted to breaking into the house on more than one occasion.
He is being held at the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center.
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