Police Charge Man Related To 13 Arsons In Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK, MI — There has been a series of similar arsons across Royal Oak for several years and now a man has been charged for the crimes.

Thomas Manes, formerly of Royal Oak, was arraigned before Magistrate Donald Chisholm of the 44th District Court on multiple charges related to the suspicious fires dating back to 2015. Police say they are mostly car fires.

Manes was charged with the following:
• Two counts of 2nd Degree Arson (Dwelling), a felony which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison
• Six counts of 3rd Degree Arson (Personal Property over $20,000), a felony which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison
• Three counts of 4th Degree Arson (Personal Property $1,000 to $20,000), a felony which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison
• Breaking & Entering a Building with Intent, a felony which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison
• Larceny of a Firearm, a felony which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison
• Felony Firearm, which carries a penalty of 2 years in prison.

Police say the fires date back to 2015 and happened within a small radius of one another in a north-eastern section of the city. Starting in November 2015, three suspicious vehicle fires were reported along with two others in December 2015. During that time, InStyle Cabinets, located at 4300 Rochester Road, was also severely damaged by fire and investigators discovered evidence it was related to an early morning break- in where a firearm and electronics were taken. A family sleeping in an attached business next to the fire escaped without injury.

During the summer of 2018, three reported vehicle fires occurred which were similar in nature as the vehicle fires in 2015. A person of interest was identified early in the investigation, however a lack of sufficient evidence hampered efforts to obtain charges, police said.

Since November of 2015, there have been a total 13 reported fires which investigators have suspected were intentionally set.

Then again during the early morning hours on June 2, 2019, Royal Oak officers and firefighters responded to a 911 call of a shed and garage on fire behind a home in the 700 block of Whitcomb. The fire was extinguished, but a small shed was destroyed, and the garage suffered significant damage. Detectives and fire investigators responded to the scene due to the suspicious nature of the fire. No injuries were reported in the incident.

On June 4, members of the Royal Oak Police Criminal Investigation Division and Special Investigation Unit located and arrested the 33-year-old suspect at his apartment in Troy.

“We are extremely pleased to finally bring this crime spree to an end," said Royal Oak Chief Corrigan O’donahue. "The midnight shift officers and investigators put countless hours into finding the person responsible. The police department utilized cutting edge technology to investigate this case, but in the end, it was solved with good old fashion police work. I can’t speak highly enough of the efforts of our officers and detectives.”

Manes’ criminal history includes convictions for uttering and publishing, unlawful driving away an automobile, and disorderly conduct. His new bond was set at $250,000.00, cash/surety, no 10%. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 18 before Judge Derek Meinecke of the 44th District Court.