August 18, 2003

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Asst. to the Fire Chief
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2411, page: 675-2137

Arsonist Arrest After Setting Three Morning Fires

A 24-year-old Shreveport man has been arrested after setting three separate fires this morning along Marshall Street in the downtown area . . .

Shreveport fire investigators interviewed and subsequently arrested Kenneth Netter at the scene of the last fire at Central Station lounges, 1025 Marshall, after being informed by firefighters and police officers that he had been on the scene of the two earlier fires. The first fire was located at 1201 Marshall and was called into 911 at 4:39 a.m. The second fire was at 1010 Marshall and reported at 5:08 a.m. Both of those fires were dumpster-type fires and extinguished relatively quickly by firefighters.

The Central Station fire was started in a screened-in back porch area that the business used to cook outside and was reported at 5:14 a.m. The fire destroyed the porch and made its way into the business through a window before firefighters were able to bring it under control at 5:26 a.m. Fire damage to the inside of the building was light but smoke damage was heavy. The estimated property damage loss was reported between five and eight-thousand dollars.

Netter was booked into city jail by fire investigators and charged with one count of simple arson for the Central Station fire. Investigators said that additional charges could be brought by the District Attorney’s Office after their review of the case. ###