Gulfport Police Search for Serial Arsonist

A serial arsonist or arsonists have struck again.

Two suspicious fires have been set in alleyways the past two months. That brings the total number of overnight unsolved fires to 39 in Gulfport.

Gulfport Police say they only have one eyewitness account from recent fires. In November, someone saw a black male wearing a black-and-yellow striped jacket, jeans, and a dark beanie lighting a fire near Hoyt Park. The witness saw him ride off on a bicycle.

That fire happened at 57th Street South and 23rd Avenue South and caused $20,000 in damage to a Progress Energy power pole, police say. It was one of 10 that happened in 2012 alone.

Sign up for the Gulfport Patch email newsletter to stay connected with your community.

Police say all of the fires are related by location, time of day and method.

This year, two reported fires happened on Jan. 11 around 4 a.m. at the 5300 block of Dellett Avenue South and on Feb. 5 around 6 a.m. at the 5200 block of 30th Avenue South.

The police are asking the public to keep an eye on alleyways and
reporting suspicious persons immediately by contacting dispatch at 582-6177 or
by calling 911 if there is already a fire burning and/or an emergency.

Anyone with information that may identify the suspect(s) and wishes to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers of Pinellas County. Call 1-800-873-TIPS, report online at www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org or text keyword TIP144 plus your tip info to CRIMES. If your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Related Articles:

• Is There a Serial Arsonist in Gulfport?_ (Dec 2012)
• "Suspicious" Fire May Be Connected to Fires in 2007, 2008 and 2010 (May 2011)
• Palm Tree in Clam Bayou Set on Fire: Fifth Suspicious Fire this Year (June 2011)
• Suspicious Fire is the Sixth This Year (Aug. 2011)