SANFORD, Fla. – Police, fire officials and the state fire marshal are searching for a person of interest in several suspected arson cases in Sanford.
Authorities are searching for Steven Wayne Angle, 40, to speak to him about the fires. Police said they interviewed everyone in the neighborhood about the fire there but he is the only one on the street they haven't been able to track down.
Eleven fires have been reported in Sanford and authorities held a news conference on Wednesday to discuss the fires, which occurred between June 30 and Aug. 8. Eleven fires are being investigated, officials said.
- 519 S Palmetto Ave (July 3)
- 819 S Palmetto Ave (June 30)
- 812 S Palmetto Ave (July 3)
- 1209 S Palmetto Ave (July 26)
- 1800 S Palmetto Ave (July 27)
- 2010 Maple Ave (July 3)
- 2050 Pine Way (July 21)
- 93 Myrtle Ave (July 20)
- 6780 Ronald Reagan Blvd (July 3)
- 4850 Hester Ave (July 3)
- 325 Miller Road (August 8)
In the fire on Miller Road, Curtis Smith was arrested on attempted murder and first degree arson charges for setting the fire while someone slept inside, police said. Angle is Smith's half-brother, authorities say, and they want Angle to answer questions in the other arson fires.
Shirley Scott, who is the mother of both Angle and Smith, defended the allegations against her sons.
"My son's are not arsonists. They might be a lot, but they're not arsonists," said Scott.
Angle has a criminal history, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. In 2013 Angle was arrested for an incident in 2011 after a woman waiting at a bus stop in Sanford claimed she was raped by Angle. That case is still going through the court system.
Smith, who lives next-door to Angle, isn't suspected in the other 10 fires in the area.
Investigators are also looking into if there is any connection to the fires in Volusia County and Orange County.
An $11,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the conviction.
If you have information on the whereabouts of Angle, call 1-800-423-TIPS.
Check back with ClickOrlando.com and watch Local 6 for more on this developing story.