Three people have been charged in connection with three structure fires that broke out in Batesville on June 17.
According to a Batesville Police Department media release, affidavits for two juveniles, ages 14 and 13, were presented to the juvenile prosecutor’s office on June 27 for the following charges: three counts of arson, two counts of residential burglary, two counts of commercial burglary, and one count of theft of property. The 13-year-old was also charged with first-degree criminal mischief and possession of an instrument of crime.
A 19-year-old man, Cody Cambell, was also charged with felony commercial burglary in Independence County Circuit Court on June 30.
The release said, …”all three individuals admitted to having knowledge of or having been directly involved in the starting of the structure fires.”
The fires occurred on or near North Central Avenue. According to Cambell’s arrest affidavit, the Batesville Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at 611 N. Central Ave. at 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. At 6:29 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a second structure fire at 101 W. Morrow St. At 7:01 p.m., the department was dispatched to a third fire at 170 N. Central Ave. (pictured below), the site of the former location of Ozark Furniture (and before, Heasley’s Furniture and Appliances.)
The 611 N. Central Ave. fire caused at least $100,000 in damage to an unoccupied house (pictured below). The West Morrow fire caused between $15,000 and $100,000 worth of damage to a house. Firefighters estimated the fire at the former Ozark Furniture location caused an estimated $100,000 worth of damage.
Cambell’s court information said at the time of the fires, the three subjects were spotted in the area by a Batesville Police patrolman and witnesses. The three were later interviewed at the Batesville Police Department with their parents and guardians.
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