UMATILLA, Fla. — A Umatilla-area serial arson suspect is now accused of setting at least two blazes as a diversion for a pawn-shop break-in in February, police said in a new report.
- Serial arsonist in Umatilla gets new charges
- James Bennett accused of setting fires as diversions for burglaries
- RELATED:
James Anthony Bennett, 48, of Altoona is being held at the Lake County Jail on charges of arson and armed burglaries stemming from a string of crimes in and near Umatilla, a settlement of roughly 3,500 south of the Ocala National Forest.
Umatilla police charged Bennett with two additional crimes, armed burglary to a structure and grand theft, in a warrant filed Wednesday.
He was originally charged with four charges of arson and two counts of armed burglary.
Bennett's arrest has eased concerns of residents after a string of arson fires in February and March.
The Old Crow restaurant was the first business to get hit by the string of arsons. And on February 18, Bennett busted into the Jolly Rodger Pawn Shop at 6:08 a.m., police alleged, as firefighters were battling two Umatilla blazes.
The owner showed police store security video after the burglary.
A man matching Bennett’s description smashed a display case, grabbed jewelry, looked around, snagged a shopping bag, grabbed more jewelry, and left the building at 6:10 a.m., police said after reviewing the video.
The store’s owner said turquoise and silver rings worth $300 were taken.
Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies say they’ve had Bennett on their radar for some time throughout their investigation.
The biggest break in the case was when a witness came forward and said Bennett was bragging about lighting a cop's car on fire and even told him how he did it. The witness also said Bennett discussed the pawn shop break-in and the two diversionary fires.
“The witness spokes of details and information that was not publicly available at the time,” the warrant said.
According to the arrest warrant, the witness told a sheriff’s office investigator that Bennett “took advantage of a fire he set to burglarize a pawn shop and was upset that the jewelry he stole was not worth as much as he thought.”
He is also accused of setting a car on fire inside a resident's garage, causing the whole house to catch on fire.
He was taken into custody April 18 at his home in Altoona without incident.
Authorities say that each count of arson could result in a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
