Fire away

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Police arrested an alleged match-happy man for an Oct. 24 fire in Newbold.

Responding to an arson call at Sunoco APlus Gas Station, 2102 S. 17th St., last week, they met with a witness who stated that while he was working at the site, he had the alleged arsonist ask for a book of matches, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said. Denying his request, he watched him exit the store, with the figure purportedly remaining outside and receiving the desired items from a cigarette-purchasing customer.

The employee contends he saw the offender strike a match and light a newspaper while standing next to a Dumpster, Tolliver said. After he observed the man’s alleged placement of the paper into the bin and subsequent flight from the scene after he placed a call to authorities, he provided a detailed description to the law enforcers.

Acting on flash information, they stopped the alleged wrongdoer on the 2100 block of South Bouvier Street, with positive identification from the worker leading them to arrest Derrick Curry, a 37-year-old resident of the 2000 block of Tasker Street, and charged him with arson, causing/risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief. The Fire Department extinguished the fire, which did no damage to the receptacle.

Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.

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