JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of a Jacksonville man in connection to an arson.
Patronis says Willie Hill was charged with arson of an occupied dwelling for his alleged involvement in intentionally setting a trailer on fire.
Officials say on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, a vehicle fire occurred on McLauren Road in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department requested assistance from the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations in conducting an origin and cause investigation into the incident.
The CFO says the suspect was taken into custody by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office that were present at the scene.
A detective on scene says he was advised that the suspect was in possession of "crystal meth" and that he had an outstanding warrant for sexual battery.
The CFO says the suspect was arrested for arson relating to the fire on scene, and it was revealed he admitted to a neighbor that he "caught the trailer on fire". An origin and cause examination was done on scene and the fire is still under investigation.
Willie Hill was arrested and transported to the Duval County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
"In many of our arson cases, the perpetrators are repeat offenders," said Patronis in a press release. "This suspect was in possession of drugs and had an outstanding warrant at the time of arrest, and our goal is to keep repeat offenders like him off the streets. Thank you to all of the law enforcement in Jacksonville and all of our DFS detectives that helped with this arrest and helped to keep the suspect away from doing additional harm in our communities."
