http://news.excite.com:80/news/uw/010119/university-38

No suspects found in arson attempts



Updated 12:00 PM ET January 19, 2001


  By Adora M. Cheung
  The Tiger
  Clemson U.

  (U-WIRE) CLEMSON, S.C. -- Within five days, residential hall Johnstone F and
  its nearby vicinities endured four separate acts of arson. While some may
seem
  minor, the University police are now taking extra precautions and are
heavily
  monitoring activity occurring in and around the crime scenes.

  On Jan. 8, a fire was sighted at a dumpster in the breezeway between
Johnstone E
  and F. Witnesses saw some suspicious activity around the area at the time.

  According to Police Chief Lonnie Saxon, "Three unidentified white males were
  around Johnstone F and ran to the dumpster located in the breezeway and ran
back
  to Johnstone F. Shortly after that, a loud popping noise came from the
dumpster
  and smoke came out from it. When [the reporting officer arrived on the
scene], he
  discovered a small, smoldering fire."

  The following night, a similar incident was reported by Jason Womack, a
freshman
  in engineering.

  He said, "I was just sitting around talking with my friends and then I saw
smoke
  from my window. I went to tell my resident director and he took it from
there."

  Just 12 hours later, a much more serious case was reported by USA Security
  Officer Richard Waller. A few of the papers on the door of Johnstone 515F
had
  caught on fire but were quickly extinguished before anybody was harmed.

  Nathan Minton, a resident assistant and current resident of the room,
refused to
  comment about the situation. According to Janna McDonald, student services
  program coordinator, some of the resident assistants were under advisement
not to
  talk about any of the recent arson cases.

  Jansen Bailey, a freshman in economics, resides on the fifth floor where the
incident
  occurred.

  He said, "[The police] took everyone out of their rooms of the whole hall
and
  questioned them. It took a while."

  If the individuals responsible for this particular case are caught, Saxon
warned that
  they may be charged with arson with an intent to kill.

  The final reported arson incident occurred Jan. 12 during the early morning
hours.
  Officer Steve Miller and USA Security Guard Hugh Holbrooks were on walking
  patrol on the fifth floor of Johnstone F when they noticed an odor of paper
burning
  and discovered another small fire in the bathroom.

  The four similar acts, all concentrated around Johnstone F, have led many to
worry
  about their safety, which is the police and housing departments' number one
  concern.

  Gary Campbell, director of residential life, said, "Often times in
situations like these,
  the Clemson University Police Department will put together some undercover
  tactics to try to figure out how and why certain events happen."

  In response to these dangerous incidents, Saxon did just that. He ordered
more
  backup for that particular area.

  "What I did was beefed up security over there [Johnstone F]. There are a lot
of
  people over there now. [Residents] do not know who is who. What I want them
to
  do is quit it before it really hurts somebody," he said.

  Although there are many suspicious causes clouding the four various
incidents,
  Saxon said, "It has a lot to do with alcohol."

  When he sent more officers to the area, they found some unsuspecting
students.

  "We checked the toilets and there was a lot of throw up in it. We started
looking
  harder over there and some of them were arrested for underage drinking,
underage
  possession of alcohol and possession of marijuana," said Saxon.

  He continued, "A lot of times we find these things [attempts of arson] and
they are
  tied with alcohol. They want to pull a prank and burn a few things and it is
very
  serious, especially the one with the door. We will charge these individuals
harshly."

  While the police try to solve the puzzle, housing officials have put some of
the
  investigating responsibility on themselves. They are offering a $1,000 award
for any
  information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for
the third
  arson incident that occurred on Jan. 10, which involved the possibility of a
loss of
  life.

  Campbell explained, "That award is put up through University housing. We
were
  authorized to do this several years ago. It is an effort to get information
leading to
  the conviction and arrest of an individual who might be starting fires in
residential
  homes, which of course, we look at very seriously.

  "If you're familiar with the Seton Hall incident two or three years ago, we
have lost
  lives, so $1,000 is a drop in the bucket," said Campbell.

  As far as the culprits go, the police do not have suspects yet. Without
enough
  evidence, the police do not even know if these four similar incidents could
have
  been caused by the same group of people.

  "We are interviewing folks and we are going to continue to talk with them,"
said
  Saxon.

  The police, however, cannot always do everything on their own. Saxon wants
  anybody who has any information to contact him.

  He added, "We are asking for help. We want people to talk and that will put
a stop
  to the officers and having to pull people out on the sidewalks when it is
cold. I'm
  asking for their assistance in helping me with these crimes. If anybody sees
or hears
  anything, tell them to email me and we will check into it. We don't want
anybody to
  burn up here."

  And for those criminals responsible, Saxon warned, "Quit setting things on
fire. It
  may seem like a prank, but it is very serious."

  (C) 2001 The Tiger via U-WIRE

Doug Gordner, Life Safety Inspector
Ithaca College Campus Safety
Life Safety Division
101 Safety Building
Ithaca, New York 14850
(607)-274-1846
(607)-274-1868 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
CFSI-1
Member:
National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA)
International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)