Man, 18, charged with setting fire to two homes

7/28/2011

An 18-year-old Toledo man is being held in the Lucas County jail on two counts of aggravated arson.

Joshua Havermale was arraigned in Toledo Municipal Court Thursday morning. He's being held on a $100,000 bond.

Mr. Havermale is accused of setting fire to the vacant home on Greenwood Avenue early Thursday. He is also accused of setting fire to 516 Potter St. this week.

The fire on Greenwood was reported just before 12:30 a.m.

By the time firefighters extinguished the blaze about four hours later, the 1 1/2-story wood frame house was a total loss, firefighters said. One man was taken to the hospital "complaining of difficulty breathing from the smoke that had blown into his home," according to a court document.

The Lucas County Auditor’s Web site lists S & N Rogers Super Fund, with an Australian mailing address, as the owner of the house. It was built in 1897.

The court document states that Mr. Havermale "set fire to the location for profit using gas and an open flame."

According to a Toledo police incident report, a witness told authorities they knew who the arsonist was. He was then arrested and charged with the arson.

Mr. Havermale was then also charged with the fire on Potter.

According to a court document, Mr. Havermale "set fire to said location using lighter fluid and an open flame."

The document states there was another man in the house with Havermale when the fire was set.