INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD said they arrested a 30-year-old man for intentionally starting a fire inside a duplex on the city's near east side Wednesday morning.
Flames damaged homes on both sides of the duplex in the 1300 block of North Olney Street, near 10th Street and North Sherman Drive, and police reports show the estimated damage is $76,000.
The Indianapolis Fire Department said the duplex was vacant at the time of the fire.
Investigators believe the fire started on a mattress.
Court records show neighbors knew the suspect and told police he used to live at the home with his family.
Earlier this year, the suspect's family reportedly moved out, but the suspect continued to stay at the house.
Witnesses told police the suspect shouted "burn motherf****r, burn" and other obscenities as the fire grew Dec. 13.
"Heartbroken. This is not just our community, but it's our homes, and that's another family that isn't going to have an opportunity to have a home this time of year," Joshua Feilen said.
Feilen is an operations manager with J.L. Hair Realty. His property is next door to where the fire started.
"My first reaction was to get over here, and then driving down the road, I noticed 1345 building, and then, I noticed the siding on our building was burnt and damaged pretty bad," Feilen said.
According to court documents, the suspect gave conflicting accounts on what happened and got angry and began talking to himself.
The Indianapolis Fire Department said this is the 21st arson arrest in the city this year.
The department tells 13News they investigated 151 incendiary fires in 2022 and already 193 incendiary fires this year — more than a 27% increase.
"This isn't just going to affect the people in the dwelling of the house — it's going to affect everybody here. You can still, and probably for days on end, will be able to smell the smoldering smell here in the neighborhood," Feilen said.
Feilen isn't discouraged by the neighborhood his family's business decided to invest in.
"We're in this together, and we've got to love each other, and we've got to pull through with each other instead of against each other," Feilen said.
Police reports show the suspect is preliminarily facing felony charges for arson, burglary and criminal mischief.
(NOTE: 13News does not name suspects until charges have been filed by prosecutors.)