Columbia police track suspected arsonist in Blue Acres fire
The Columbia Police Department is investigating an alleged act of arson that occurred early Thursday morning.
The fire started around 4:40 a.m. Sept. 22 inside a mobile home in Blue Acres Trailer Park on Ponderosa Street, according to the news release.
The suspect is a 21-year-old white male named Nathan Dinwiddie. The suspect has no known address and is thought to be homeless, said Detective Tom O’Sullivan of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. The residents of the mobile home said they knew Dinwiddie prior to the incident.
The fire caused minor damage to the furniture inside the mobile home and there was reportedly a vehicle vandalized as well. The vehicle had four flat tires and the windshield was broken, O’Sullivan said.
At the time of the fire, there were two adult women and three children inside the mobile home. No one was injured in the fire, and the damage to the home was minor, according to a news release.
“The suspect became enraged because one of the women in the home would not get up to find him a phone number at 4 a.m.,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan also said this was an isolated incident and it should not be a cause for concern that arson is an increasing trend.
The police have not been able to detain the suspect at this time. Anyone with information about the crime can call the police or Crime Stoppers at 573-875-1111 or 573-875-TIPS.