Arson probe focuses on fired RTA driver’s property
By Steve Bennish, Dayton Daily News, Ohio | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
A
Police reopened an investigation on
Four of the properties purchased by Wagoner had fires that have been ruled arson, including a
No one has been charged in connection with any of the arson fires involving Wagoner's properties and no injuries were reported.
Contacted at his home by the
Wagoner's attorney,
"I was aware there were fires at Rick's properties. I have talked about it to Rick. He adamantly denies he or his relatives were involved. The fact that the
A message left at a telephone number listed as used by
'Unknown combustible material'
Every firefighter in the city was summoned on
Today the structures are gone and the lots are vacant. Records released to the
According to those records, the
Directly across the street, the multi-unit 902 Five Oaks residence was also fully involved. No one was injured, but in the fire's aftermath four homes were leveled.
"Due to the two separate, vacant structures catching fire at the same time with no evidence of exposure, this fire is ruled an arson set at the rear of 24 Bellevue and (a) side of 902 Five Oaks using an unknown combustible material," the
In an interview with a fire investigator, Harris said he learned of the fires via a phone call from Wagoner.
The land contracts on the homes were four years old, Harris told the investigator. All told, Wagoner had purchased seven properties from him, all under land contracts, he said. Under land contracts, a purchaser can pay for property using installments over time while the ownership of the property stays with the seller until the properties are paid for.
Harris told the investigator that Wagoner was then paying
Wagoner was not covered under the insurance policy at the time, according to information Harris provided the arson investigator.
"I asked if he knew if
Harris said he knew of no other insurance policies covering the properties. There were no mortgages on any of the properties, he said.
The sale of the
Both properties today are vacant lots. The
Saved by a religious book?
Wagoner was fired from his job as a driver for the
According to Wagoner, the bus had lost power that February morning, and he was saved by a religious book he carried that stopped two bullets.
Wagoner, who is white and had been a driver for 10 years, told authorities he believed the incident was part of a gang initiation.
A
RTA said Wagoner was fired for violating two employee standards of conduct: dishonesty, or filing a false report, and conduct detrimental to the RTA.
The RTA says Wagoner had inquired through his union,
A cold case reopened
Wagoner's account of the shooting, which garnered national publicity, played a role in the reopening of the arson investigation involving the
The arson, which firefighters estimated caused a loss of
The reclassification also was recorded five days after the
Assistant Fire Chief
"The investigation was reopened as you noted but, as it is an active investigation, we cannot release any additional information at this time," he said in a written statement.
Caudill also declined to say whether the
Williams acknowledged Wagoner's claims of being attacked prompted police to check on other contacts they'd had with him in the past.
"Sometimes we take a look at investigations and see things that bring questions to mind that we want to get answered," he said.
Smoke was pouring from the
Fires had ignited in multiple locations on the second floor. What fire investigators call a "trailer" had been rigged there, too -- a line of cloth material soaked in a flammable liquid.
This trailer "ran nearly the entire length of the structure," according to the
Numerous holes -- which have the effect of spreading fire quickly -- also had been drilled in the upstairs floors. One firefighter fell partially through one hole, but refused treatment by medics at the scene.
Police refused to release more detailed investigative records, citing its pending investigation.
"They've been real bad," he said. "We had a garage down the street burn in January."
"Vacant houses on both sides of the street, gunshots in the alley once in a while. It's crazy with drugs," she said. "When I moved in six years ago, it was fine. But the houses went into foreclosure and it got bad."
Anderson, too, saw the fire on Mumma. "I watched it burn to the ground," she said. "It just flamed up."
According to county records, as of Friday Wagoner owes
Another arson
The most recent suspicious fire involving a property linked to Wagoner also remains under investigation.
Last week, the interior of the house at
Wagoner signed a land contract with Harris for the Riverview property in 2007. At the time, a tenant lived there, the contract says.
The house was vacant at the time of the fire, which has been officially ruled an arson, according to Caudill.
He declined to say whether the department has any suspects in the blaze.
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(c)2014 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)
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