A homeless Gloucester City man is charged with accidentally starting a fire early Sunday that damaged four houses and displaced several families.
Police Chief George Berglund said Tito Diaz Jr., 26, was squatting in the vacant twin at 408 Market St and apparently fell asleep while smoking.
Berglund said the fire seemed "purely accidental. No one was hurt, no one was injured."
Diaz has been arrested 25 times in the last two years, the police chief said.
"We are very frustrated dealing with these type of individuals," Berglund said. "They continue to terrorize the streets and cause us to use a vast amount of resources."
Sunday's fire began around 3:15 a.m. Berglund said Diaz awoke to flames in the three-story house and called 911.
All available personnel were called to the three-alarm blaze, which spread to several houses.
It took three hours to put the fires out, and ultimately at least four houses were damaged. Berglund said several families lost their homes.
Diaz is being held in the Camden County jail with bail set at $25,000. He has been charged with causing life-threatening damage, trespassing, and squatting. More charges may be pending, Berglund said.
Copyright 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
