Ohio Dingus With Singed Eyebrows Charged After Fire
- Suspect unlocked gate, stole fuel, and accidentally started a fire that caused $25K in damage
- Suspect tried to contain the fire but ended up making it worse by backing the truck towards the tanks
- Suspect was identified as a former employee and admitted to the theft and fire under questioning
A Columbus dingus is facing felony arson charges after police say he caused a fire while stealing fuel from storage tanks — then showed up to be questioned with singed eyebrows and visible burns.
This is what it most likely didn’t look like, but I used my imagination:
According to a Columbus police report, officers were called to the 1800 block of Walcutt Road after fire damage was discovered at a property on the city’s west side.
Investigators with the Columbus Division of Fire found damage to three large fuel storage containers, with losses estimated at $25,000.
Surveillance Video Told the Story
After examining the scene, investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed a Dodge Dakota truck pull up to a locked gate.
Police say the driver got out, unlocked the gate, and drove toward the fuel storage containers. The footage appeared to show the driver removing fuel from the tanks and loading it into his truck.
Then the situation got worse.
According to investigators, a flash fire ignited while the driver was removing fuel. The driver jumped back into the truck and drove away, only to realize that something in the bed of the truck had also caught fire.
Instead of leaving the scene for good, police say the driver backed the truck toward the fuel tanks, which caused the fire to spread even more.
After that, the driver left the area and, according to the report, even re-locked the gate before driving away south on Walcutt Road.
Former Employee Identified
Investigators said the truck and driver matched the profile of a former employee, William Dave Bush.
Police later located Bush and interviewed him on April 15 at his current workplace.
According to the report, Bush entered the interview room with:
- Burns on his right cheek
- Singed eyebrows
- A burn on his right earlobe
- A large bandage on his right arm
Bush initially told investigators he got the burns while working at his current job. Under further questioning, he changed his story and said he actually got burned in a brush fire.
When confronted with the evidence, police say Bush admitted he had been stealing gas from his former job. He also admitted he had been fired from that job and had never returned the key.
According to investigators, Bush said the fire started accidentally when he lit a cigarette.
Charges Filed
Bush is now charged with:
- Felony arson
- Property damage over $1,000
