Insurance and Safety

Fire Commissioner

PRESS RELEASE

 

ATLANTA – On Jan. 3, Investigators with the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office charged Clint Vance, 33, of Kennesaw with one count of arson in the first degree, one count of criminal damage to property in the second degree, one count of possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and one count of vandalism of a place of worship.

On Dec. 25, a fire was set to the back exterior wall of Solid Rock Baptist Church located at 7662 Hwy 115 West in Cleveland,. Video surveillance was obtained from the church that appeared to show a white male in his mid-to-late thirties setting the fire. Investigators then released a picture of the suspect they were seeking.

The exposure garnered from the release of the suspect’s picture resulted in an anonymous tip coming into the Fire Investigations Unit. This sparked an investigation into Vance, which resulted in the charges. He was already incarcerated in Cherokee County Jail when the charges for the Christmas Day arson were handed down. He currently sits in Cherokee County Jail for his previous, unrelated charges.

“Thanks to an anonymous tip, we were able to locate and identify this individual less than 24 hours after announcing our interest,” said Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King. “This is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement, the media, and members of the public come together in search of a dangerous criminal.”

Investigators with the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office assisted the White County Sheriff’s Office and the White County Fire Department with this investigation. First Degree Arson is a felony punishable by a fine of no more than $50,000 or by a prison term between one and twenty years, or both.

 

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