BATAVIA, Ohio — A couple has been indicted for their involvement in what police believe was an intentionally set residential fire in 2022, according to Clermont County Sheriff's Office.
Asa Dawson, 35, and Kaitlyn Dawson, 32, were indicted on Feb. 29 on the following charges:
- Aggravated arson
- Arson
- Tampering with evidence
- Insurance fraud
- Telecommunication fraud
On Sept. 20, 2022, the Clermont County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a house fire in the 2300 block of Vista Lake Drive. Police arrived on the scene at 9:03 p.m.
According to police, no one was in the home but the house was destroyed.
The next day, the Clermont County Fire Investigation Team (CCFIT) determined that the cause of the fire was suspicious. As a result, the Clermont County Sheriff's Office Investigations Unit, CCFIT and the State Fire Marshal's Office began investigating.
Also Read: Investigators: Arson suspected in Batavia house fire, $5,000 reward being offered for information
Police said a neighbor's surveillance system picked up Asa returning home at approximately 8:20 p.m. on the day of the fire and then leaving shortly after. The house went up in flames after Dawson left.
Investigators said the fire spreading so quickly raised suspicion and caused them to think accelerants were used.
According to police, the State Fire Marshal's Forensic Lab tested evidence gathered at the scene including fire debris which confirmed that accelerants were used.
In an interview, Asa told detectives he did not enter the house before the fire but later changed his story, police said. Kaitlyn, Asa's wife, was not in the state when the fire happened but police said that approximately a month before the fire, they both increased their insurance policy.
In addition, police said fire investigators discovered that minimal personal and no household items were in the house.
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