Will Arrest Solve Arson Cases?

A 26-year-old woman has been arrested in connection to a residential burglary.

St. Petersburg Police say that 26-year-old Jessica Bianca Sowick also is a "strong suspect" in a series of fires and vandalism in the Causeway Island neighborhood.

According to police, detectives have investigated a half-dozen arsons and several vandalism reports in the neighborhood since 2011.

Detectives arrested Sowick Monday in connection to a house burglary at 181 79th Street South, the street where Sowick resides.

After her arrest, Sowick was interviewed by detectives and denied committing
the vandalisms or having involvement in the series of arson cases, police said.

She was booked in the Pinellas County Jail on one count of residential burglary.

According to police, the vacant residence she has been accused of burglarizing had been the target of arsons and other acts of vandalism. A surveillance camera had been installed by detectives to capture the image of any potential suspects who might return to the scene, police said.

In the early morning hours of April 26, the camera captured several images of Sowick entering the backyard of the residence during which time police said that she used a permanent marker to write on the exterior walls of the house.

According to police, she wrote: "Fire Starter" and "You Never Got Me."

Detectives advised that Sowick has been a suspect in the arson cases for the
past several months.

Detectives noted that many of the arsons were to properties located close to where Sowick lives with her mother.  

They also noted that in two cases where fires had been set to the homes of people on vacation, Sowick had been given keys to the homes to take care of the residents' pets.

In many cases the arsonist wrote very similar graffiti on the walls.

Investigators learned that two other jurisdictions where Sowick has
resided prior to moving to St. Petersburg have investigated a number of
suspicious fires and arson similar to those in St. Petersburg.

The arson investigations are still continuing and, while Sowick remains a
strong suspect in those cases, she has not yet been charged, police said.

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