MARSHFIELD BLAZE INTENTIONALLY SET; SUSPECT ARRESTED
Thursday, April 21st, 2005 -- 10:55 AM
Originally thought to be the result of faulty wiring, police in Marshfield now say that a huge fire that burned two mainstreet businesses was arson; and they've already arrested a suspect. Authorities requested charges against Jeremy Van Ert, 25, of Marshfield. They say he?s admitted to starting the huge April 1st blaze that caused an estimated $750,000 in damages and left twelve renters without a home.
Authorities originally thought an electric fault caused the fire, but further investigation revealed the fault was actually caused by the fire.
Van Ert had been a renter in the building where the fire started. Police Chief Joe Stroik said investigators became even more suspicious of him when a fire destroyed his new apartment on Monday night.
"We had some eye-witness accounts of some electrical arcing going on just prior to the (April 1st) fire being discovered," Stroik says, "There was just another fire the other night, and that really caused us to move quickly the following day."
Van Ert faces three counts of arson and three counts of recklessly endangering safety. A Wood County judge set his bond at $10,000 cash. If convicted on all six counts, Van Ert faces a maximum of more than 157 years in prison and up to $375,000 in fines.
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