Craig Young, president of 1st Response Restoration & Construction Specialists, conducted a press conference Wednesday morning to announce his offer of a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the fire, which was ruled an arson by the Newark Division of Fire.
The fire was reported just before 6 a.m. July 19 at Young’s warehouse on the 200 block of Manning Street in Newark. The building was used to store records for the business as well as other documents and supplies. It was deemed a total loss.
The Licking County Crime Stoppers and Blue Ribbon Arson Committee also are offering $1,000 and $5,000, respectively, for information on the crime, bringing the total potential payout to $7,000.
“I’m positive there is someone out there who knows something about this,” Young said. “If we can catch someone, I know I’ll sleep a lot easier.”
There have been 67 arsons in Newark since September 2011, and Young is hopeful that an arrest in the case involving his warehouse could help firefighters solve other open arson investigations.
Assistant Chief Patrick Connor, with the Newark Division of Fire, said the department has not uncovered any evidence that links the Manning Street arson to any of the other 66 arsons.
Although Young is focusing all of his energy on finding the person responsible for the fire at his warehouse, he said he cannot ignore the fact that he has been the victim of many other crimes in the past. Some of those incidents include break-ins at his office and his home, slashed tires on his vehicles, stolen tools and more.
He has even been the victim of one other arson in the past at his office, and it was that crime that inspired him to start 1st Response. Young remembers he couldn’t get the smell of smoke out of his building and saw a need for a fire restoration business.
“There’s nothing worse than the stench of the water and smoke damage. ... It’s something you never get used to,” he said.
Despite all the incidents, Young said he remains positive about the future. He said he knew years ago he would continue to be victimized by criminals, but rather than let the past 20 years get him down, he just wants to move ahead.
“I don’t worry about those other 49 crimes, and I don’t think I’ve been singled out in any way,” he said. “I’ve just had it of being a victim of crime and not doing anything about it.”
