Conyers daycare owner Keisha Archer says her business has been frozen in place ever since a masked suspect walked up, poured an accelerant and set her building on fire last October, leaving the inside blackened and unusable. She puts the damage at about $400,000 and calls the site a “total loss.” In the months since, Archer has been propping up the shuttered center with income from another childcare location, paying the mortgage and keeping the property boarded up while a stalled criminal investigation and an unprocessed insurance claim keep any reopening on hold.
Archer says her claim with insurer Canopius still has not been processed and that she is “still paying insurance every month” on the burned property, according to CBS Atlanta. The station reports she has been relying on proceeds from her other daycare to cover the mortgage and related costs while she waits for movement on the case. Archer also told the outlet she intends to push for accountability if the person captured in surveillance footage is ever identified.
Arson Probe and Reward
The fire at Starr Kidz Academy 2 was reported around 10:37 p.m. on Oct. 20, 2025, and investigators quickly treated it as suspicious. They later determined there were several points of origin and that an ignitable liquid had been used, with samples shipped out for testing, according to the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire. The agency released surveillance images and is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest. State and local fire officials say the State Fire Marshal is working the case in coordination with Rockdale County Fire Rescue.
Security Video Shows Suspect
Local TV coverage has shown security footage, including Ring camera video, that appears to capture a hooded figure carrying a red canister, pouring liquid into a hallway and then running off just before flames erupt, reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta shows. Archer told reporters it was the second time in recent months that the property had been targeted and vandalized, and said the repeated hits have been crushing for her efforts to get the center open again. Authorities have not announced any arrests.
Why the Claim Is Taking So Long
When arson or the use of an accelerant is suspected, investigators have to collect evidence, send samples to a lab and coordinate closely with law enforcement and state fire officials, steps that can significantly slow the official ruling on what caused the fire and any related insurance decisions, according to training materials from the U.S. Fire Administration. That extra forensic work is meant to shore up criminal prosecutions and underwriting decisions, but it often leaves owners in limbo, still paying mortgages and premiums while their buildings sit damaged and their claims sit unresolved.
Owner’s Plea and What to Watch For
Archer told CBS Atlanta she is leaning on community support as she waits for answers and publicly called out the person who set the blaze. “What you did is beyond wrong. It’s hurtful. Turn yourself in,” she said. The state’s arson reward announcement also lists the 24/7 Georgia Arson Control Hotline for tips, and investigators are urging anyone with information to contact their office so the case, and Archer’s long-delayed path to reopening, can finally move forward.
