aggravated arson News

Prosecutors Say New Jersey Diner Owner Paid Friend to Burn It Down

Prosecutors say a New Jersey diner owner hired his friend to burn it down last month so he could collect on an insurance claim. Thomas Giannisis, a 51-year-old Bellmawr resident who owned the Country Town Diner in Berlin, and 56-year-old …

Prosecutors Unable to Prove Arson Against 2 Youths in Tennessee Wildfires

Prosecutors have dropped arson charges against two juveniles in connection with the Tennessee wildfires that killed 14 people and tore through thousands of homes and businesses in November, a law enforcement official said Friday. In December, District Attorney General Jimmy …

Tennessee Wildfires That Killed 14 Allegedly Started by 2 Juveniles

Authorities on Wednesday charged two juveniles in an East Tennessee wildfire that killed 14 people and destroyed or damaged more than 1,700 buildings in an iconic tourism spot at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. Officials offered few other …

Man Charged in New Jersey Apartment Fire That Destroyed Three Buildings

A 19-year-old has been charged with setting his former New Jersey home ablaze, leaving four firefighters hurt, three buildings destroyed and 20 residents displaced. The Jersey Journal reports a criminal complaint says Matthew Nathan was arrested Sunday afternoon and faces …

Pennsylvania Arson Bill Caught Up in Mandatory Sentencing Debate

A proposal to stiffen sentences for arson in Pennsylvania has run afoul of a debate over the use of mandatory minimum sentences in the commonwealth. State Sen. John Rafferty Jr., R-Chester, introduced the measure in March in response to the …