It's this kind of behavior that gives angry mobs a bad name

In Belize, a group of "indigenous Mayans" reportedly burned down an animal sanctuary there after being told, by a psychic, that children were being fed to crocodiles.

The prettiest arson ever

Authorities say arson is to blame for a "spectacular fire" at a fireworks stand near Troy, Mo., the P-D reports.

California cops battle booby traps, fires

Someone set a fire at a police building in Hemet, California, and police believe it's the latest in a string of attacks on their department, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Some of the previous attempts have been pretty outrageous. A gas main was rigged to fill the offices of their gang task force. A booby trap was set up outside one building, rigged to fire a gun whenever someone opened a security gate. Several city vehicles were torched, and a suspicious device was left under one officer's vehicle. Authorities blame a white-supremacist gang in the area.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

Friend defends Hereford House owner

KSHB has an interview here with a former employee of Rod Anderson, the former owner of the downtown Hereford House. Earlier this week, federal authorities accused Anderson of arranging to have the restaurant burned down. The former employee says he thinks Anderson is innocent.

Who are the Hereford House arsonists?

The big news yesterday was the indictment of Rod Anderson, the former owner of the downtown Hereford House. The feds accused Anderson of arranging for the restaurant to be burned down for insurance money. There's still one dangling thread, though: Nobody has arrested whoever physically set the fire.

You might remember that authorities released surveillance images many months ago of men inside the restaurant, after hours. It looks like two different men, at least. The one in the darker photo is clearly heavier. The feds believe more than one person was responsible. There's still a $10,000 reward available.

If you can identify them, please call the local ATF office at 816-559-0850, the ATF's toll-free hotline, 1-888-ATF-FIRE (888-283-3473) or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

I'm really curious to learn where these people came from. How does find someone who'd be willing to carry out a job like this?

Meanwhile, here's a post about the case from Chief Corwin's blog. Tony's Kansas City weighs in here. More coverage here from KMBC, KSHB, KCTV.

Woman sets filing cabinet ablaze so she can leave work early, cops say

I'm not saying it's OK ... but I understand. The fatal mistake, according to Florida authorities:

Perrino drew suspicion when she mentioned the fire's origin — a filing cabinet — during an employee meeting. Employees had not been told where the fire started.

Ex-owner of Hereford House charged in restaurant arson

Federal prosecutors have accused Rod Anderson, the former owner of the Hereford House, of arson after the downtown landmark was destroyed by fire in October 2008, Mark Morris reports. Anderson had filed for personal bankruptcy a few months after the fire.

Arson cases are notoriously hard to solve, but ATF officials said -- within days of the fire -- that someone had set the fire. Over the coming months, the authorities would offer a $10,000 reward and release surveillance photos of a man shown inside the Hereford House shortly before the blaze.

From Mark Morris:

Authorities alleged that Anderson first met with an unidentified co-conspirator for about 50 minutes on Sept. 27, 2008, and showed him the property for about 50 minutes. Anderson also purportedly gave the co-conspirator a key and a security alarm code.

The indictment suggests, however, that more than one person allegedly helped burn the building. According to the charges, Anderson’s “co-conspirators” then used the key and alarm code to conduct a “walk-through” of the restaurant on Oct. 12.

Here's a PDF of the indictment. It doesn't look like they've charged the guy in the surveillance photos at this point.

More details about political sign arson

Not saying this is a justification for arson, or anything of the sort, but here's a followup to Don Bradley's story about the Raytown man whose anti-Democrat sign has been torched twice:

The Raytown farmer who posted a sign on a semi-truck trailer accusing Democrats of being the “Party of Parasites” received more than $1 million in federal crop subsidies since 1995.

But David Jungerman says the payouts don’t contradict the sign he put up in a corn field in Bates County along U.S. 71 Highway. “That’s just my money coming back to me,” Jungerman, 72, said Monday. “I pay a lot in taxes. I’m not a parasite.”

Political sign torched twice

If you haven't already seen it, be sure to read Don Bradley's story about a Raytown man who placed an anti-Democrat sign on a truck along U.S. 71 in Bates County. The trailer has been torched twice since May, and he's now put out a $5,000 reward in the case.

Some breakups are worse than others

A British man is accused of getting back at his ex-girlfriend by burning down her house -- only he didn't get out before the place exploded, the Sun reports:

"They saw Mr Gray leaving the rubble. He was described by a number of witnesses as laughing manically. One asked what happened. He replied, 'It is a long story'."

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

Arson is harder than it looks

If you're going to set your repossessed car on fire in an act of revenge, try not to catch yourself on fire, too. Also, try not to do it on camera.

Could the Marriage Ref have prevented this?

Meet Guy Edward Jones of West Virginia. He's accused of setting his own home on fire after getting into a fight with his wife, who didn't have dinner on the table by the time he got home. Image courtesy of the AP.

Charges dropped against Mo. man accused of fatal arson

Last month, a Springfield man was accused of burning down his home, killing his girlfriend's three children in the process. Prosecutors have dropped the charges, though, because lab tests couldn't find any accelerant on the man's clothes or from the scene. A fire marshal's dog, trained to detect accelerants, had signaled that it had found some.

Is an arsonist haunting northeast KCK?

In KCK, the fire department thinks an arsonist has torched 14 vacant houses since late February, KCTV reports. They're happening in an area between 7th and 10th, from Parallel to Quindaro. The most recent was Monday, near 10th and Waverly. There's a hotline for anyone who might have leads in the case -- 913-573-5555.

UPDATED: Police say they've got a person of interest in custody, though it's not clear if all of the fires are related, Joe Lambe reports.

Hat Tip: Many thanks to The Golfer!

Burning down the house

In LeClaire, Iowa, a 16-year-old girl allegedly burned down her house because she didn't like how her mom had disciplined her. Mom, an 18-month-old and the girl's invalid grandfather were home at the time, but escaped. The house is destroyed. She might not like how Iowa disciplines people, either: She's automatically charged as an adult and could get 25 years in prison.

KCK launches arson hotline

The number is 913-573-5555, and the fire department says the calls are confidential. Arsons are notoriously difficult to solve. It seems like KCK has had a few more than normal lately. Here's hoping this helps.

Thou shalt not bear false witness

A pastor from Leavenworth, Marvin Clay, has been sentenced to three years for lying to federal investigators, who were looking into an arson at the Sunflower Missionary Baptist Church in 2008, the U.S. Attorney for Kansas reports. Clay knew that another man, Carva White, had set the fire in a plan to rip off the church's insurance company.

Yet another bong-related arson ...

In San Ysidro, police allege that a despondent man set his mobile home on fire while cleaning his bong.

Police ID victim found in fire

Lakeshia M. Ross, 34, of KCK, is the woman whose body was found during a fire at the Relax Inn, 6300 Blue Parkway, on Saturday morning. Police believe the fire was set, and a department release refers to Ross as a homicide victim. At this point, no suspects have been arrested. Police are asking anyone with information to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (474-8477).

Woman's body found at suspected arson

From KCPD: This morning (04/10/2010) at approximately 10:30am, KCMO police were called to the Relax Inn Motel, 6300 Blue Parkway, to meet the fire department in regard to a dead body. Upon arrival, officers were informed that the fire department responded to the address in regard to a fire in a motel room.

After entering the room, a female (b/f, approx. 35yrs old) was found unresponsive by firefighters. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death is suspicious, and it appears the fire was intentionally set. The cause of death is not being released.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816.474.8477.

Angry girlfriend burns man's home, police say

Angela D. Phillips is accused of first-degree arson after she allegedly set her boyfriend's house on fire, Jackson County prosecutors say. The fire happened on March 8 in the 3900 block of Bellefontaine. Court records say Phillips set the fire because she was mad at the boyfriend. The man's father reported Phillips had set his apartment on fire before, the probable cause statement says.

Suspect named in topless coffee shop arson

The coffee shop in Vassalboro, Maine, was destroyed last June, shortly after the owner announced plans to possibly convert into a strip club. The suspect is one waitress' boyfriend.

Angry naked man accused of arson

After fighting with his beloved over sex, they allege.

Arson kills 3 Mo. kids, police say

Springfield police say a 26-year-old man, David Williams, set a house fire that killed his fiancee's three children, ages 7, 5 and 4. Their grandfather is in critical condition at the hospital. Investigators say that a trained dog alerted to accelerant on Williams' clothes and at the fire scene. Also, police didn't see any indication that he'd been in a fire -- no smoke, no soot. They don't have a motive, and it's not clear if the authorities think the arson was intended to hurt the kids.

The always excellent Kathee Baird says Williams' fiancee, the children's mother, is standing by him at this point.

Williams says he went back into the house to save his girlfriend. His former employer at a barbecue stand doesn't think he did it and notes that he could've gotten lighter fluid on his clothes at work.

Man who said "move it or lose it" wasn't kidding

A Utah man is accused of setting his ex-roommate's 1993 Isuzu Rodeo on fire because the ex-roomie failed to move it from the carport after weeks of requests. From police:

After learning about the carport dispute, "It wasn't much of a 'Hardy Boys' mystery for us to figure out," Robinson said.