A mid March fire that tore through a third floor Avondale apartment has now landed a Cincinnati man in court on an aggravated arson charge, with police saying the case also involves a high speed chase across several neighborhoods.
According to WKRC, Troy Currie of Walnut Hills was charged on April 1 with aggravated arson in connection with the March 15 blaze on Rockdale Avenue. Investigators allege he intentionally set fire to a unit in an apartment building where he does not live. No people were seriously injured, but court documents say families, including children, were home when the fire started.
Police also accuse Currie of later leading officers on a multi neighborhood pursuit before his arrest.
Fire response and damage
Firefighters were called to the 600 block of Rockdale Avenue on March 15 and arrived to find a working fire on the top floor of the building. Two cats were pulled from the unit but later died, and two residents were displaced, according to WLWT. The Cincinnati Fire Department estimated about $50,000 in damage.
The CFD Fire Investigative Unit is continuing to sort through what happened. The department has called the origin of the blaze suspicious, according to WCPO.
Police chase and arrest
Days after the fire, officers initiated what started as a routine traffic stop on a Tuesday and say it quickly turned into a chase that pushed through several Cincinnati neighborhoods. Court documents describe the driver running red lights and having close calls with other vehicles before the car was finally stopped.
Police say Currie then tried to run off on foot. An officer injured his hand during the struggle to take him into custody, according to the court records.
Charges and legal stakes
After the arrest, officers reported finding fentanyl, crack cocaine and crystal meth in Currie’s possession. He now faces an aggravated arson count along with charges tied to the pursuit and drug possession, WKRC reports.
Under the Ohio Revised Code section 2909.02, aggravated arson applies when a person, by means of fire, knowingly creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to a person or to an occupied structure, or damages an occupied structure. The offense is a felony and carries the possibility of significant prison time if prosecutors secure a conviction.
Hamilton County prosecutors will determine how to move the case forward as investigators continue to review evidence from both the fire scene and the police pursuit.
What comes next
Currie is expected to appear in court for arraignment on the new charges, and the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office will set future court dates in the case.
The Cincinnati Fire Department is still investigating the origin of the suspicious blaze at the Avondale apartment building, according to WCPO.
