Police arrest juvenile after 6 fires set in Forest Acres
A juvenile suspect who set six fires Monday night in a residential area off of Trenholm Road has been arrested, Forest Acres police announced Thursday.
The suspect, whose name was not released due to their age, was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice, police said in a statement. No other information was provided.
“The outstanding work of our patrol officers during these incidents allowed FAPD to manage the fires alongside the Columbia Fire Department and to quickly identify a suspect,” Forest Acres Police Chief Don Robinson said in a statement. “Forest Acresdetectives were able to make contact with the juvenile’s family and encouraged the suspect to take accountability.”
Police said the juvenile set the fires between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday, in the area of Old Mill Circle and Lakeview Circle. That’s near a busy Columbia retail area and Gills Creek Memorial Park.
The fires, which were set in residential trash cans and bales of pine straw at Forest Lake Gardens, a Trenholm Road garden center, did not result in any injuries or structural damage, according to police.
The suspect’s motive in allegedly setting the fires has not been released.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 12:50 PM.