Aggravated arson charges filed against Dayton man
Apartment building’s residents put out small fires.
A Dayton man DAYTON — faces felony charges this week after allegedly setting fires inside his apartment building.
Gerald M. Davis, 51, is also accused of attempting to tamper with the audio and visual devices inside fire alarm to disable the horns and strobes that alert people to a fire or smoke, said Bryan Adams, public information officer with Dayton Fire Department.
Adams said Davis was not successful in disabling fire alarms, and residents were able to use fire extinguishers to put out small fires in the hallway and lobby at 475 W. Grand during the evening hours of Feb. 26.
“We take these cases very seriously,” Adams said.
Prosecutors in Dayton filed two first-degree felony counts of aggravated arson against Davis on Wednesday. He remained in jail Wednesday with bond set at $25,000.
Adams said there are 28 units in the apartment complex. No one was displaced as a result of the fire.
No injuries were reported, and damages are estimated at $1,500, Adams said. The investigation is ongoing.
A 911 call from a resident there said the suspect was “standing in the lobby lighting the mail on fire.”
“We got a gentleman trying to burn our building down,” said a male resident to emergency dispatchers.
Davis will appear again in Dayton Municipal Court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.