Homeless man arrested in March house fire on Rockland Key
Fordham had worked at the property and at times was allowed to sleep in a storage area beneath the house, which was under renovation after being damaged during Hurricane Irma last September.
He had been allowed on the property to watch homeowner
Soo said he had hired Fordham to work on his home contingent on his sobriety. Fordham, who has lived in halfway houses and homeless shelters, struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, according to Detective
The day after his firing, Fordham returned to the stilt house at 20 Calle Uno, according to state fire investigators, to steal a pork shoulder from a freezer kept in the storage area. He admitted to taking the piece of meat, which he dumped off at an acquaintance's boat in a huff, but said he doesn't remember what else happened at the Rockland Key home. A witness reported seeing Fordham at the home the day of the fire leaving on a bicycle minutes before smoke began to pour out from the house, according to an arrest affidavit.
The pork shoulder ended up going to waste.
Talarico told him that he had company and that he was not welcome at the time. Fordham, who Talarico said appeared drunk and "aggressive" in attitude, threw the package to the deck stating "stew this" and left in anger, investigators reported. When Talarico examined the package he saw a defrosting pork shoulder, which he threw away.
The fire at 20 Calle Uno started on a mattress with gasoline, investigators said. The house was unoccupied at the time and there were no injuries, officials said.
Fordham was arrested
Crews from the
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