Crime & Safety
3 Charged With Setting Two Vacant Mooresville Houses On Fire
A 19-year-old and two juveniles from Mooresville were charged after they reportedly admitted to setting the fires in two vacant houses.
MOORESVILLE, NC — Authorities have charged a Concord man and two Mooresville juveniles with arson after the trio admitted to setting two vacant Mooresville homes on fire before dawn Saturday. The suspects were apprehended after they were spotted by a witness and later returned to the scene of one of the fires, according to fire investigators.
South Iredell Vounteer Fire Department, along with fire fighters from Davidson and Mount Mourne responded to the first fire, located at 252 Mackwood Road, around 3 a.m. on Feb. 1.
“Upon arrival, the vacant structure was fully involved with a roof collapse,” Mooresville Fire-Rescue said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Mooresvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Miles away, a 911 caller reported a structure fire at 788 Shinnville Road and described to the dispatcher a vehicle parked in the driveway of the burning building.
“Soon afterward, fire investigators and police detectives noticed a similar vehicle drive by the fire scene on Mackwood Road,” MFR said.
Find out what's happening in Mooresvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Police officers stopped the vehicle, and inside it were Cam Lee Rowland, 19, of Fairpoint Drive Southeast in Concord, along with a 16-year-old male and a 14-year-old male, both from Mooresville.
“As a result of this investigation, the three admitted to setting the Mackwood house on fire, then traveling to Shinnville Road and setting that structure fire,” MFR said.
Rowland was arrested and charged with numerous crimes, including setting two vehicles on fire near Coddle Creek Highway on Jan. 30.
“Information was obtained which showed the suspect [was] involved with this fire as well as possibly other fires which had been set in the city of Mooresville,” Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
According to ICSO, Rowland was charged with felony second degree arson; felony breaking and entering; six counts of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor; two counts of felony burning personal property; and two counts of felony breaking and entering of a motor vehicle. His secured bond was set at $25,000.
Both juveniles will be charged for their involvement in the Shinville Road fire, ICSO said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.