Warehouse fi re leads to indictment

A 32-year-old Prairie Township man is accused of setting a fire that destroyed much of the Volunteers of America warehouse on the Far West Side.

A Franklin County grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Aaron J. Callicoat on Thursday, including charges of aggravated arson, vandalism and possession of criminal tools.

Callicoat, of Yarmouth Lane, also has two unrelated arson cases pending against him, court records show.

A massive fire swept through the warehouse at 5640 W. Broad St. on the night of Jan. 2 and burned into the following morning. Much of the 25,000-square-foot warehouse was destroyed, including all the donated items inside. The estimated 225,000 pounds of clothes represents about $450,000 in lost revenue, Volunteers of America officials said.

The structure was insured, but the items inside were not. The warehouse supplied clothing and household goods to all seven of the organization’s thrift stores in central Ohio, including a store located in front of the warehouse. That store was closed immediately after the fire but has since reopened.