By Rajah Maples
Friday, July 24, 2009 at 5:15 p.m.
Read more: Local, Crime, Community, Clark County, Arson Fires, Revere, Suspects
CLARK COUNTY, MO -- Relief for Revere residents. That's the sentiment in Clark County after four men were arrested for a series of arson fires.
KHQA's Rajah Maples spoke with a Clark County Sheriff's Department sergeant about the arrests, how they came about and the motive behind the blazes for this KHQA FactFinder Report.
The sheriff's department says these four men are responsible for about a dozen arson fires in the Revere area since December. 19-year-old Timothy Ball, brothers Bradon and Jason Shotts all of Revere and 20-year-old Jimmy Martin of Farmington, Iowa are charged with multiple counts of arson and burglary.
Detective Sgt. Robert Becker said, "I don't really want to go into the motives. That's something that will come out during court."
All the buildings, including the former Revere Community Church, were vacant at the time of the fires. But many residents feared the arsonists would choose a home with a family inside...or even set a fire that would spread to nearby homes. KHQA asked Detective Sgt. Robert Becker how authorities ended up finding the suspects.
Becker said, "Through the course of our investigation, we were able to find people willing to talk with us."
No one was ever hurt in the arson fires. And Becker says the department doesn't think there are any more suspects on the loose. But he says you can never be 100 percent sure.
The Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms helped in the investigation.
The agency says its partnership with the Missouri State Fire Marshals Office and Clark County Sheriff's Office is another example of what can be accomplished when federal, state and local agencies work together.
