HAMPTON, Va. — Investigators with the Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue say they are looking for a woman they believe started a fire on Canterbury Road the night of Friday, July 1.
Hampton fire investigator Trevor Gruchow said when crews responded to the fire in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood, they noticed something suspicious about the scene.
"We found evidence of a separate fire away from the portion of the house that was affected, and then another fire on patio furniture further away from the house," said Gruchow. "That definitely keyed us in that something wasn't right."
He said most of the damage to the home is on the side of the building, and then the fire spread to the attic.
Gruchow said surveillance video showed the woman walking around the home late at night carrying multiple items, including a baseball bat.
He said it appears this woman targeted the home, but he is still trying to figure out why.
"She was using an ignitable liquid and an open flame device to commit this crime," said Gruchow. "It seemed to me she knew exactly where she was going and what she was there to do."
Gruchow said the homeowner didn't recognize the woman. The Hampton Fire Division is now relying on the public to help identify and find her.
"This is a serious crime. We need to get this person off the street. It's a bad enough crime where we hope it wouldn't occur again at the same residence," Gruchow said. "The female is conveniently wearing what appears to be a COVID mask, which is concealing her identity, but hopefully somebody will know who it is and we can get to the bottom of this."
Investigator Gruchow said arson is a felony and the person in those photos could face serious charges if caught.
If you know anything about the person seen in the photos, you are asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
