Naples man wearing firefighter shirt seen on video starting fire at his apartment complex
On October 18, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Naples, Florida, announced that an arrest had been made in an arson case, after security video footage showed the suspect setting a fire at a Collier County apartment complex over the weekend.
Jarrett Otto Gimbl, 40, was wearing a blue shirt with “Firefighter” written on it when deputies arrested him in connection with the fire at Addison Place Apartments, located off Immokalee Road just west of Collier Boulevard.
“This arrest brings closure to residents who live in the building, thanks to the great work of deputies and detectives who quickly identified and located the suspect,” Sheriff Rambosk said.
Deputies responded to a report of a fire in the trash room at the apartment complex shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday. Smoke and flames were showing. Deputies and firefighters evacuated residents from the building. Firefighters extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported.
State Fire Marshal’s investigators determined the fire was intentionally set.
Security video shows Gimbl, who lives in the apartment complex, lighting papers on fires and throwing them into the trash cans through the trash chute. Gimbl was wearing a dark blue shirt with “Firefighter” written on the front and “Fire Rescue” on the back.
Witnesses told deputies they saw Gimbl in the area about eight minutes before the fire alarms went off.
Courtney Churchill, who also lives in the complex, was quoted by Wink News as saying, “I guess there’s crazy people everywhere and they just happen to live in the neighborhood here.”
Deputies located Gimbl in the 5500 block of Pine Ridge Road. He was still wearing the blue firefighter shirt displayed in the video.
Initially, Gimbl denied setting the fire but then detectives showed him the video of him lighting the fire. He was arrested and charged with first-degree arson, felony criminal mischief and resisting arrest.
The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate other similar crimes in that area that may be linked to Gimbl.
(Source, Jarrett Otto Gimbl booking photo: Collier County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
