Arson

A man in custody since September 2024, facing four counts of suspected arson, was found dead in his Sonoma County jail cell. The sheriff's office reported deputies discovered him unresponsive at 10:15 p.m., with life-saving efforts unsuccessful.

Christopher Peden, 36, of Fort Wayne allegedly used his own penis as kindling to start a fire in a neighbor’s garage. He initially claimed to have been stabbed before admitting to the arson plan.

Christopher Peden is accused of cutting off his genitals and using them to start a garage fire in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Authorities found a gasoline container, four lighters, and a kitchen knife at the scene. Peden faces an arson charge with a potential 12-year prison sentence and is scheduled for a trial next week.

Christopher Peden is accused of cutting off his genitals and using them to start a garage fire in Fort Wayne, Indiana, leading to an arson charge with a potential 12-year prison sentence. Authorities found a gasoline container, four lighters, and a kitchen knife at the scene. Peden admitted to lying about a stabbing and confessed to the act, with a trial set for next week.

Christopher Peden is charged with arson after allegedly cutting off his genitals and using them to start a garage fire in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Authorities found a gasoline container, four lighters, and a kitchen knife at the scene. Peden is scheduled to return to court next week for trial dates.

An alleged arson attempt targeted the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center, with a masked individual setting fire to a bag inside the mosque. The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest, and a GoFundMe has raised over $10,000 to support the community center.

Prediction markets allow betting on whether wildfires will destroy towns. Survivors criticize them as morally wrong and fear they could encourage arson.

Three teenage girls were arrested for allegedly setting fire to an unborn baby’s nursery using a firecracker in Citrus Heights. The incident is under investigation as a felony arson case.

A man was accused of allegedly setting a fire at a Joliet Walmart and eating food without paying for it last month. Police reported the incidents occurred during a single visit to the store.

A Stockholm officer shot an arson suspect in the leg after ordering him to 'drop the weapons!' The suspect, accused of setting fire to two apartments during an eviction, was hospitalized, and three others were treated for smoke inhalation.

The Albany Police Department is investigating a stabbing that occurred on Madison Avenue early Wednesday morning. The victim has been charged with arson.

Fire investigators in Baton Rouge have classified a vacant house fire as arson. The fire occurred overnight and is under investigation.

A suspected arson at a Livonia residence led to an explosion, fire, and a police shooting that killed the 61-year-old homeowner. Officers found gas lines cut, prompting an arson investigation, and encountered the armed homeowner in a neighboring backyard, resulting in a fatal shooting. Two investigations are ongoing: one for arson and another for the officer-involved shooting.

Prosecutors in the Palisades fire trial used ChatGPT logs as evidence against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who faced arson charges for a deadly 2025 wildfire. The logs showed Rinderknecht generating fire-related images, expressing anger, and ranting about the wealthy. Prosecutors also cited iPhone location data, security footage, and witness testimony.

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, after the jury deadlocked with 10 jurors favoring not guilty and two seeking conviction. Prosecutors plan to retry the case, citing strong evidence linking Rinderknecht to the fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

A mistrial was declared in the trial of a man accused of arson for the Palisades Fire, one of California's most destructive wildfires, after jurors could not reach a verdict and informed the judge they were deadlocked.

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who was accused of starting the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The jury deadlocked 10-2 on all three federal charges, including arson and malicious destruction by fire, with prosecutors uncertain if they will retry the case.

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of sparking the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, after a jury deadlocked 10-2 on all three charges. The fire killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes, with prosecutors using digital records and security footage to establish Rinderknecht's presence at the fire's origin.

A mistrail was declared for Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 30-year-old Uber driver accused of arson and destruction of property in the Palisades Fire case. He was indicted last October on three felony counts related to these charges.

Three individuals were arrested after a fire broke out at the decommissioned Metcalf Middle School in Eagan. The Eagan Fire Department extinguished the fire, but the building sustained severe damage. Authorities are investigating the incident as potential arson.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department is investigating an arson suspect in a second fire at the same vacant house in Baton Rouge this week.

A high school senior was sentenced to 66 months in prison for setting a homeless man on fire on a New York City subway. The victim was critically injured but survived due to first responders' efforts.

Paul Pruitt is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the person or persons responsible for burglarizing and setting fire to his Mathews County, Virginia home. The incident involved both burglary and arson, though the home's exterior damage appears minimal.

The Aurora Fire Department is investigating multiple grass and brush fires near South Dallas Street and East Mansfield Avenue as potential arson. The fires are clustered around apartment complexes in the area.

Jonathan Rinderknecht is on trial for arson linked to the Palisades Fire, which could result in a 45-year prison sentence if convicted.

An arsonist who set a sleeping subway rider on fire received a 5 ½ year federal prison sentence. Surveillance images showed the victim alone and burning in the subway car, still on fire when exiting at Times Square.

A Los Angeles jury is determining if former Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht intentionally started a fire on New Year’s Day 2025 that later became the city’s most destructive firestorm. Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht, motivated by resentment toward the wealthy, ignited the Lachman Fire, which smoldered and reignited during Santa Ana winds, destroying thousands of homes. Evidence includes geolocation data linking him to the fire’s origin and his prolonged presence at the site.

A 24-year-old parolee named Tyler J. Russell has been charged with starting a fire at a homeless hotel in New York, which resulted in six deaths. Russell was released on parole in February prior to the incident.

A 19-year-old high school senior was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for setting a homeless man on fire on the NYC subway. Hiram Carrero admitted to igniting a piece of paper that critically injured the man, who survived due to quick emergency response. Prosecutors argued the attack was heinous and sought up to 8 years, while defense highlighted Carrero's troubled past.

A Cumberland County man is wanted in connection to an arson investigation in Crossville. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) conducted an investigation that led to his indictment. The suspect remains at large.

A person previously convicted of arson has pleaded not guilty to allegedly starting a fire at a Menlo Park coffee shop. The suspect reportedly returned to the fire scene while firefighters were extinguishing the blaze and chanted, 'Burn, burn, let it burn.'

An 18-year-old from Traverse City, Northern Michigan, was arrested and charged with arson and assault after allegedly setting fire to a home and attacking its owners. The incident occurred over the weekend.

A 21-year-old man was charged with hate crime and arson for burning a cross in Grant Park. He claimed the act was a political protest against President Donald Trump and not intended as a hate symbol.

Investigators are examining a series of small fires in Santa Ana after a man suspected of arson was taken into custody. The suspect was arrested overnight following the incidents.

Two men have been jailed in the UK for arson attacks on properties linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Prosecutors allege the attacks were coordinated via Telegram by a Russian-speaking figure offering cash rewards and were financially motivated.

A 21-year-old man named Merlin Lu was charged with a hate crime and arson after admitting to setting a cross on fire in Chicago's Grant Park. Lu claimed the act was a protest against President Donald Trump and Christian nationalists, not a racially motivated act of hate.

A 21-year-old man admitted to setting a cross on fire in Chicago's Grant Park and was charged with a hate crime, arson, and other offenses. He claimed the act was a protest against President Donald Trump and Christian nationalists, not a racially motivated attack. A heart with the word 'resilient' was placed where the burning cross stood.

A 21-year-old man, Merlin Lu, was charged with a hate crime and arson after setting a cross on fire in Chicago's Grant Park. He claimed the act was a protest against President Donald Trump and Christian nationalists, denying it was racially motivated.

A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in an arson case on Detroit's west side. Video footage shows a man approaching a vacant home with a bag before fleeing as flames emerged from the structure.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with hate crimes, arson, and property damage after burning a cross in Grant Park. He claimed the act was a protest against Trump, not a hate crime. St. Sabina offered a reward for information leading to the arrest.