WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Arson suspect caught on camera

Arson suspect caught on camera

By Christy Hutchings - bio | email

GUYTON, GA (WTOC) - Deputies say an arsonist torched South Effingham High School's ticket boot outside their football field late Saturday evening.

Immediately investigators said the fire looked suspicious. They took the school's surveillance tapes and saw a whole lot more than just a fire being set. The video caught the arson suspect actually stealing everything he needed from the school to start the fire.

"We know the diesel was taken from school property, we know some other flammables were taken from school property, as well as two or three propane tanks," said David Ehsanipoor with the Effingham County Sheriff's Office.

The video clearly shows the suspect go to one cabinet outside the school's automotive shop and pull items out.  He then walks around the building possibly looking for more flammable materials.

"We think he was trying to get his hands on anything that would start a fire," said Ehsanipoor.

People in the area at the time of the fire reported hearing loud explosions before it started. Firefighters got the blaze out quickly keeping it contained to just that building, but it could have been worse.

The sheriff's office isn't taking this lightly. "We're looking at serious felony charges. At this time we're working with the state Fire Marshall's office, along with our investigators to determine who did this. We're hoping someone in the public knows who this person is. Even though it may not show his face, we're hoping someone may know something about the crime," said Ehsanipoor.

Deputies are reviewing additional surveillance video.

Anyone with information is asked to call authorities. A reward has been set up for anyone with information leading to an arrest in this case.

©2009 WTOC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.