| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: REEVES, CHRISTOPHER 0663 (AR10117718) WILLFULLY AND UNLAWFULLY, OR WHILE IN THE COMMISSION OF ANY FELONY, BY FIRE OR EXPLOSION, DAMAGES OR CAUSED TO BE DAMAGED ANY STRUCTURE, WHETHER THE PROPERTY OF HIMSELF, HERSELF OR ANOTHER, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 806.01(2) ON 110110 AT 2213 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO 5465 SOUTH OAKRIDGE DRIVE IN HOMOSASSA, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MIKE'S FRIENDLY PUB, IN REFERENCE TO THE FIRE OF AN UNOCCUPIED STRUCTURE. UPON MY ARRIVAL, I OBSERVED A FAIR AMOUNT OF SMOKE TO BE IN THE AIR IN THE PARKING LOT AND BEHIND the ESTABLISHMENT. I MADE CONTACT WITH THE COMPLAINANT, MS MARY SIMPSON, WHO ADVISED APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE MY ARRIVAL, AFTER HAVING KICKED THE DEFENDANT, MR JACOB WESLEY BROWN, OUT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT, SHE AND A PATRON, MR STEVEN MORRIS, SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK YARD WHERE THERE IS A WOODEN STAGE AREA. MARY FURTHER ADVISED THEY WENT TO THE STAGE AREA AND OBSERVED THE REAR LEFT HAND SIDE TO BE ON FIRE. AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE USING WATER AND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. I OBSERVED THE STAGE AREA TO BE APPROXIMATELY THIRTY FEET WIDE BY TWELVE FEET DEEP AND APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET TALL. THE STAGE AREA WAS SITTING ON A METAL TRAILER FRAME, WAS ENCLOSED ON THREE SIDES AND HAD A METAL ROOF. I OBSERVED THERE TO BE RECENT FIRE DAMAGE IN THE BACK LEFT HAND CORNER WHICH WAS STILL SMOKING. FIRE WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE TO ENSURE THAT THE FIRE HAD BEEN COMPLETELY PUT OUT. THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE WAS CONTACTED AND THE FIRE MARSHALL LATER RESPONDED. I BEGAN SPEAKING WITH MARY AND STEVEN WHO BOTH ADVISED THAT SHORTLY BEFORE DISCOVERING THE STAGE HAD BEEN SET ON FIRE, DEFENDANT BROWN HAD COME INTO THE BAR ACTING IN A BELLIGERENT MANNER, AT WHICH TIME THEY REFUSED TO SERVE HIM. MARY AND STEVEN STATED THEY KNEW DEFENDANT BROWN BECAUSE HIS FATHER CUTS THE GRASS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT WHEN THEY REFUSED TO SERVE DEFENDANT BROWN ALCOHOL, THEY ALLOWED HIM TO USE THE TELEPHONE. AT THAT TIME, DEFENDANT BROWN CALLED SOMEBODY AND STATED "SUE, PICK UP THE PHONE OR I'LL BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN." THEY ADVISED AFTER THAT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, HE AGAIN MADE A REFERENCE TO BURNING something WHEN HE STATED "IF MY DAD EVER CUTS THE GRASS HERE AGAIN, I'LL BURN HIS HOUSE DOWN." THEY ADVISED THAT DEFENDANT BROWN THEN EXITED THE BAR WHILE SMOKING CIGARETTES. THEY STATED THEY OBSERVED HIM WALK TO THE BACK OF THE ESTABLISHMENT WHERE THE STAGE IS LOCATED, BY HIMSELF. THEY ADVISED APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THEY DISCOVERED THE STAGE HAD BEEN SET ON FIRE. UPON THE FIRE MARSHALL'S ARRIVAL, HE ADVISED THAT DUE TO THE DAMAGE HE WOULD BE LEAVING THE INVESTIGATION UP TO THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. HOWEVER, HE DID ADVISE THAT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THE FIRE HAD BEEN INTENTIONALLY SET. MARY THEN STATED THAT DEFENDANT BROWN'S FATHER LIVED ON SOUTH BAMA AVENUE AND DESCRIBED THE HOUSE, AT WHICH TIME CANINE DEPUTY RITLI AND I RESPONDED TO 6184 SOUTH BAMA AVENUE WHERE WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT'S FATHER'S GIRLFRIEND WHO WOULD ONLY IDENTIFY HERSELF AS SUE. SHE STATED THAT THOUGH DEFENDANT BROWN'S FATHER'S ADDRESS WAS HIS LISTED ADDRESS, DEFENDANT BROWN HAD BEEN STAYING AT 5888 SOUTH BAMA AVENUE IN VIOLATION OF HIS PROBATION. AT THAT TIME, CANINE DEPUTY RITLI AND I RESPONDED TO 5888 SOUTH BAMA AVENUE WHERE WE MADE CONTACT WITH DEFENDANT BROWN AFTER BEING ALLOWED INTO THE RESIDENCE BY THE OCCUPANTS WHO ADVISED DEFENDANT BROWN HAD BEEN SLEEPING THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY A WEEK. DEFENDANT BROWN CAME OUT INTO THE FRONT YARD WITH ME WHERE HE WAS READ HIS MIRANDA WARNINGS FROM A PREPRINTED AGENCY-ISSUED CARD. I ASKED HIM IF HE UNDERSTOOD HIS RIGHTS, TO WHICH HE REPLIED HE DID. I THEN ASKED HIM IF HE WISHED TO SPEAK WITH ME AT THIS TIME, TO WHICH HE REPLIED HE WOULD. DEFENDANT BROWN STATED HE HAD GONE TO THE BAR AND BECAME AGITATED WHEN THE BARTENDER WOULD NOT SERVE HIM ALCOHOL. HE FURTHER ADVISED THAT HE HAD SET THE BUILDING ON FIRE, HOWEVER, HE HAD IT ON FIRE BECAUSE HE WAS ANGRY, RATHER BECAUSE HE ENJOYED WATCHING FIRE BURN. HE STATED HE THOUGHT IT WAS "COOL TO WATCH THE FIRE DANCE." DEFENDANT BROWN FURTHER STATED HE CONSIDERED HIMSELF "A PYRO." AT THAT TIME, DEFENDANT BROWN STATED HE WOULD BE WILLING TO FIX THE DAMAGE AND WISHED TO COMPLETE A SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT, STATING HE WAS SORRY FOR THE INCIDENT, WHICH HE DID. DEFENDANT BROWN WAS THEN PLACED UNDER ARREST. HE WAS HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK, SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON ARRIVAL, HE WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF ARSON IN THE SECOND DEGREE WITH BOND SET AT $3,000.00, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BOND SCHEDULE. DEFENDANT BROWN'S WRITTEN STATEMENT WAS LATER TURNED IN TO RECORDS ALONG WITH THE SWORN STATEMENTS OF MARY AND STEVEN. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |
