Man's Surveillance Cam Captures Firebombing Of Home
Molotov Cocktail Seen Tossed On Front Porch
POSTED: Thursday, July 8, 2004
UPDATED: 7:45 am EDT July 13,
2004
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Orange County man, tired of criminals making mischief in his neighborhood, was shocked to find what his newly installed surveillance camera captured Tuesday morning: arsonists firebombing a neighbor's house, then returning five minutes later to use their vehicle to push a flaming car up against the house.
As owner of C&D Diversified Systems, Charles Jeffrey knows the power of video surveillance -- it's a big part of his business. So, he set up four cameras along the perimeter of his home and, after he suspected neighborhood youths of damaging his property, trained a camera on a house across the street. Three weeks later, he was awakened to the sound of fire engines and, by reviewing his digital video recorder, helped investigators piece together why the house across the street was on fire. The video showed a car pulling up at 811 Neuse Ave., near Lee Road and Adanson, at 3:40 a.m. Tuesday. A flash of light can be seen, and then a Molotov cocktail is seen tossed onto the front porch -- one of at least four firebombs investigators say were deployed by the arsonists. In the front window, the video shows the reflection of a much larger fire -- one that starts when a firebomb is placed in a car in the home driveway. Five minutes later, with the neighborhood residents still unaware of the fire, the arsonists return and decide the firebombs are not enough: They use their vehicle to push the flaming car directly against the side of the home. Seven minutes later, one of the seven people inside the home emerges, surveys the scene, and frantically rouses the others from their sleep. 
In all, seven people -- including a 10-month-old child -- emerge from the home before Orange County fire units arrive at 3:53 a.m. All were unharmed, and two contacted by Local 6 refused to comment on why they may have been targeted. The sheriff's office says it has information drugs may be involved. Whatever the reasons, Jeffrey is glad his videotape is being used by federal and state investigators to solve the crime. Whoever is responsible could face charges of up to seven counts of attempted murder. Anyone with information about the arson is asked to call Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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Neighbor's New Cam Captures Arson In Progress As owner of C&D Diversified Systems, Charles Jeffrey knows the power of video surveillance -- it's a big part of his business. So, he set up four cameras along the perimeter of his home and, after he suspected neighborhood youths of damaging his property, trained a camera on a house across the street. Three weeks later, he was awakened to the sound of fire engines and, by reviewing his digital video recorder, helped investigators piece together why the house across the street was on fire. The video showed a car pulling up at 811 Neuse Ave., near Lee Road and Adanson, at 3:40 a.m. Tuesday. A flash of light can be seen, and then a Molotov cocktail is seen tossed onto the front porch -- one of at least four firebombs investigators say were deployed by the arsonists. In the front window, the video shows the reflection of a much larger fire -- one that starts when a firebomb is placed in a car in the home driveway. Five minutes later, with the neighborhood residents still unaware of the fire, the arsonists return and decide the firebombs are not enough: They use their vehicle to push the flaming car directly against the side of the home. Seven minutes later, one of the seven people inside the home emerges, surveys the scene, and frantically rouses the others from their sleep. In all, seven people -- including a 10-month-old child -- emerge from the home before Orange County fire units arrive at 3:53 a.m. All were unharmed, and two contacted by Local 6 refused to comment on why they may have been targeted. The sheriff's office says it has information drugs may be involved. Whatever the reasons, Jeffrey is glad his videotape is being used by federal and state investigators to solve the crime. Whoever is responsible could face charges of up to seven counts of attempted murder. Anyone with information about the arson is asked to call Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story. Copyright 2005 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com.
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