Greene County man charged in arson seen leaving house before smoke, flames, deputies say
Mar. 28—A Greene County man jailed on a $100,000 bond is accused of intentionally setting fire in March to a house where and his mother formerly lived that is owned by relatives and undergoing renovation work.
Chase K. Reed, 20, was arraigned March 22 in Xenia Municipal Court for aggravated arson and burglary.
Crews were called around 2:50 p.m. March 15 to a fire in the 3200 block of Long Street in the city of Bowersville.
Neighbors told Greene County Sheriff's deputies on scene that Reed left the house carrying a black plastic tote bag about 10 to 15 minutes before they noticed flames and smoke, according to an affidavit.
"The homeowners stated Chase has been told several times by them that he is no longer welcome on the property," the affidavit stated. "The homeowners stated Chase had personal belongings inside of the residence such as clothing, all of which were stored inside of a black plastic tote."
An arson investigator from the Ohio Department of Commerce said she identified two points of origin of the fire on opposite sides of the house. The main source of the fire was in a laundry room, where the investigator noted a space heater with paper products, such as toilet paper, placed in front. The homeowners told deputies the space heater was not plugged in or turned on when they were last at the house the day before, the affidavit stated.
