arson

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Teen's Alleged Journal Entry: 'I Set a Synagogue on Fire'

Authorities say Franklin Barrett Sechriest, 18, was found with Nazi propaganda

(Newser) - A Texas teenager set fire to an Austin synagogue before confessing to the act in a journal that included racial slurs, authorities say. Texas State University student Franklin Barrett Sechriest, who resigned as a private in the Texas National Guard earlier this month, was arrested Friday on charges of arson...

Convicted Arsonists Are Executed En Masse in Syria

Human rights activists 'shocked' that 24 were put to death for 2020 wildfires

(Newser) - Wildfires that swept through Syria last year were intentionally lit, and now 24 individuals linked to setting them have been executed, per the country's Ministry of Justice. Al Jazeera notes that while executions aren't uncommon in Syria, so many being killed at once is unusual. It's not...

Woman Allegedly Sparked Wildfire Trying to Boil Water

Alexandra Souverneva hit with multiple charges in California

(Newser) - The woman who was arrested after walking out of a Northern California wildfire near the fire line has now been charged with arson. Authorities say Alexandra Souverneva, 30, was trying to hike to Canada when, she told them, she found a puddle of water to drink but wanted to sterilize...

Woman Walks Out of Brush Near Fire Line, Is Arrested

Alexandra Souverneva accused of arson in Fawn Fire, which has forced evacuations of 4K

(Newser) - A fire that erupted Wednesday in California's Shasta County has quickly spread to cover 5,500 acres , forcing thousands of people out of their homes. It's also prompted an arrest. Cal Fire and Shasta County Fire said employees spotted a white woman trespassing on property accessed through two...

4 Dead in Washington Shooting, Arson Spree

That includes the suspect in Wednesday incident

(Newser) - Authorities believe one gunman killed three people and wounded another person during a spree of shootings and arsons in eastern Washington state on Wednesday, the AP reports. A suspect was believed to have been found dead later after police fired on a vehicle. KEPR reports that police were called about...

Professor Accused of 'Arson Spree' Near Massive Dixie Fire

Gary Stephen Maynard, 47, has been charged in one fire so far

(Newser) - A college professor was charged Tuesday with what the Sacramento Bee calls an "arson spree" in Northern California, near the massive Dixie Fire. Gary Stephen Maynard, 47, who has worked at multiple colleges in the state, was arrested Saturday. "Over the course of the last several weeks, Maynard...

He's a Star Sommelier—and Allegedly, a Secret Arsonist

Caleb Ganzer charged with burning outdoor dining structures in NYC

(Newser) - Three fires set near New York City restaurants since January have been attributed to someone with much interest in the restaurant business: a star sommelier . A former Food & Wine magazine sommelier of the year , who spent part of his career at the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park , Caleb Ganzer is...

Catholic Churches on Indigenous Land Burn to the Ground

Arson suspected following discovery of graves at former Catholic-run residential school in Canada

(Newser) - Two century-old Catholic churches on Indigenous land in southern British Columbia burned to the ground on Monday, Canada's National Indigenous Peoples' Day—roughly a month after the discovery of the unmarked graves of 215 children at the former Catholic-run Kamloops Indian Residential School. Flames were reported at Sacred Heart...

11-Year-Old Hit With Felony Charges in $30K Brush Fire

Ariz. officials say 2 other children tried to stop boy from setting blaze on former golf course

(Newser) - Arizona is deep into its brush fire season, when the smallest spark can set off a massive blaze, officials tell WSJM . That became evident last weekend, when a fire caught hold and spread in Yavapai County, wrecking two vacant buildings and causing $30,000 in damage. Now, officials say it...

Cops: Woman Set Home on Fire, Watched From Lawn Chair

One resident was still inside

(Newser) - A Maryland woman set her home on fire then grabbed a lawn chair to watch it burn, with one person still inside, authorities say. Gail Metwally, 47, faces charges including arson and attempted murder over the Thursday fire in Elkton, near the Delaware state line, the Delaware News-Journal reports. The...

Cops: Deadly Wildfire Was Set to Cover Up Murder

Victor Serriteno murdered his date, then set Calif.'s Markley fire that killed 2, officials say

(Newser) - Police arrested Victor Serriteno in September and charged him with murder after the body of 32-year-old Priscilla Castro was found at a dam in California's Solano County. Now officials are accusing him of killing two more by setting a deadly wildfire to cover up Castro's death. NBC News...

After Months of No Progress, Arrests in 'Heinous' Denver Case

3 teen boys face murder charges after house fire that killed family of 5

(Newser) - Three teenage boys have been arrested in the Denver house fire that killed a family of five in August, after months without progress . Authorities say the two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old face 28 criminal counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder with extreme indifference, arson, and burglary, per the New York ...

'Now There's Going to be Hell to Pay'

Church of Satan members mourn the loss of a 'Halloween House'

(Newser) - Members of the Church of Satan are grieving the destruction of a historic “Halloween House” north of New York City that authorities say was set ablaze this week by an unidentified arsonist, the AP reports. The historic home, built in 1900, served as an Addams Family-style hub for local...

She Scored Win Over Abusive Hubby. Then, Molotov Cocktails

Battered wife Natasha Bourdon's home burns to the ground

(Newser) - A Canadian woman won a divorce battle that meant she'd be allowed to stay in her home while her abusive husband paid the mortgage—and less than 48 hours after that decision, the house burned to the ground. Police in Calgary, Alberta, confirmed the Dec. 3 fire occurred under...

Walter Forbes Was Framed. 38 Years Later, He's Free

Michigan man's 1983 murder conviction thrown out after witness says she lied

(Newser) - Walter Forbes was in his 20s when he was sent to prison for murder. At age 63, he was told his conviction had been thrown out. It was like watching a "vision unfold," the Michigan man tells CNN . Still, "it's pretty sad that it took 38...

Reward for Arson Suspects Now at $40K, but Still No Progress

'There's been nothing' in case of fire that killed 5 family members in Denver

(Newser) - Authorities have yet to solve an arson that killed five family members in Denver in August despite a $40,000 reward. Police say three masked individuals started the fire that killed Djibril Diol, 29; his partner, Adja Diol, 23; their toddler daughter Khadija; Djibril's sister, Hassan Diol, 25; and...

Man Gets 25 Years in Prison for Torching Black Churches

Prosecutors: Holden Matthews, 23, burned down 3 La. churches to impress 'black metal' fans

(Newser) - Three Black churches in Louisiana whose roots stretch back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction period were burned to the ground in 2019, and now a 23-year-old white man is being held accountable for what a DOJ official calls "acts of hate." Holden Matthews, who pleaded guilty to three...

She Got Life in Prison— Until Racist Emails Emerged

Frances Choy was convicted of killing her parents

(Newser) - An Asian American woman who spent 17 years in prison is going free partly because of racist emails about her, BuzzFeed reports. Frances Choy, 34, who was convicted in 2003 of killing her parents in a Massachusetts house fire got life behind bars—but a judge vacated her conviction last...

A Brutal House Fire Killed 5. Now, a Photo of the Suspects

Members of a Senegalese family were killed in the Aug. 5 blaze in Denver

(Newser) - There's a $14,000 reward for information on a blaze in Denver earlier this month that killed five Senegalese family members. Now police have released a photo they hope will help them catch the suspects. Per CNN , the image shows three masked individuals wearing dark-colored hoodies on Aug. 5...

5 Family Members Die in Suspected Arson

Cops believe Denver fire was intentionally set

(Newser) - Five people were found dead Wednesday after an early morning fire destroyed a suburban Denver home—a blaze authorities said they suspect was intentionally set. Three people escaped the fire by jumping from the home's second floor, the AP reports. Investigators believe the victims were a toddler, an older...

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