Hope Hendrickson, a 28-year-old Indianapolis resident, is facing arson charges after a vacant home went ablaze on the city's southwest side, the Indianapolis Fire Department reported.
Responding to the incident in the early morning hours of May 24, firefighters encountered a double residence at 1750 West Morris Street heavily engulfed with flames and smoke. The firefighting team was able to subdue the fire within 40 minutes despite the fiery ferocity when they arrived, a press release from the fire department said, according to WRTV.
The intense blaze, which caused damage to adjacent homes, led to the discovery of four squatters living inside the vacant property; they were safely evacuated without injury. The extensive investigation by the IFD's Fire Investigations Unit coupled with interviews and a search warrant at a nearby domicile culminated in the arrest of Hendrickson. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has filed three counts of arson against her, WTHR remarked in their report.
In what appears to be a persistent battle against deliberately set fires, IFD mentioned having made a total of 16 arrests relating to arson this year - according to WISH-TV. Authorities continue to urge the community to shed light on suspicious fire-related events by reporting to the Indiana Arson Hotline or Crime Stoppers.
Anyone with information about this case or any other possible arson incidents is urged by the IFD to come forward, with resources such as the Indiana Arson Hotline at 1-800-382-4628, Crime Stoppers at 1-317-262-8477, or directly to the IFD Fire Investigations Unit at 1-317-327-6700 available for tips and reporting.
