Lilburn man arrested in multi-county fire spree in DeKalb, Gwinnett
Javon Heard (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)
LOGANVILLE, Ga. - A Lilburn man is behind bars after a coordinated investigation linked him to a multi-county arson spree that destroyed part of a Loganville shopping center.
Loganville arson investigation leads to arrest
What we know:
A Lilburn man is facing several charges after a series of fires broke out in Loganville on March 26.
Investigators say the spree began around 2:16 p.m. with a brush fire on Logan Drive, followed by a major fire at a commercial building on CS Floyd Road just 15 minutes later.
According to the Loganville Fire Department, flames swallowed half of the strip-style building, though a fire-rated wall saved the other half of the structure.
A third fire was reported behind a property on Atlanta Highway while crews were still fighting the commercial blaze.
The Loganville Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fires were set on purpose.
After reviewing security footage from local homes and businesses, investigators identified 42-year-old Javon J. Heard as the suspect. Heard is currently being held in DeKalb County, where he faces more arson charges.
In Loganville, he is charged with first-degree arson, four counts of criminal damage to property, burning wildlands and reckless conduct.
In DeKalb County, jail records indicate he was arrested on March 27 on arson in the first degree, fleeing, obstruction, improper burning, and hit and run.
What we don't know:
While investigators have identified a pattern across Loganville, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, they have not yet released a specific motive for why the man allegedly started the fires.
Details about his DeKalb County arrest have not been released.
Big picture view:
The arrest was the result of a massive team effort involving the Loganville Police Department, Gwinnett and DeKalb fire investigators, and a K-9 unit from the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office. Loganville Fire Chief Tim Johnson praised the Fire Marshal’s Office for "tying all of the scenes together and locating the person responsible."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a press release and arrest warrants provided by the City of Loganville Fire Department and Public Information Officer Sharon Swanepoel, as well as booking information from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.