Arson Arrests Made in Florida String of Fires

Kenneth Beare, Ketrina Cron and a 17-year-old juvenile suspect on arson and burglary charges were arrested in a string of Marion County fires, according to an announcement b y Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater.

The arrests were made following a joint investigation by the Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM) and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office into a string of intentionally set fires in Citra, Florida, located in Marion County.

In the early morning hours of June 8, an SFM detective was asked to assist in the investigation of a fire at a vacant singlewide mobile home located on NE 40th Terrace in Citra. Before the night was over, a total of four vacant mobile home fires had been identified in the same neighborhood, all between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. When SFM officials began working with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the suspects were identified.

Beare, along with the juvenile suspect, were each charged with four counts of arson and four counts of burglary. Both are held on $80,000 bond. Cron was charged with two counts each of arson and burglary. Her bond was set at $40,000.

Source: Florida Department of Financial Services