Arson investigation underway; officials say arrest unlikely

The investigation of the arson of the house at 210 S. 41st St. is still ongoing, and, if history is any indication, it will likely fail to reach a satisfying conclusion.

Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker said that there is no update on the case, and that it will probably be a "long investigation" because it is often difficult for detectives to find witnesses and determine a motive for arson.

The house burned down in the early morning of Jan. 27, displacing its eight student residents.

The Office of the Fire Marshal determined last week that the blaze was intentionally set after ruling out all accidental causes. The Philadelphia Police Department is now handling the case as arson.

But pinpointing an arson perpetrator can be a "very challenging endeavor to prove," said Ted Bateman, director of fire and emergency services for Penn's Division of Public Safety.

According to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, arrests are made in only 16 percent of arson cases, and only 2 percent of those cases result in a conviction.

Between 30 and 50 percent of arson cases in the Southwest Detectives' patrol area, which covers much of West Philadelphia, result in arrests, Walker said.

Walker said arson cases usually involve retaliation, but he would not comment on the motive in this particular case until police interview building residents and neighbors and review past crime reports from the area.

"Sometimes, minor things trigger these," he said. "We have to trace things back."

Motives for arson can range from vandalism - the most common cause of intentionally set fires - to revenge, covering up another crime or profiting from insurance, Bateman said.

DPS spokeswoman Karima Zedan said arson cases exhibit a "lack of human interaction" that makes them difficult to solve. In contrast, she said, homicide investigators have the victim's body for evidence, while robbery cases often produce eyewitnesses.

Bateman added that material is often "consumed by the fire," leaving arson investigators with little evidence.

Deliberately set fires are the most common type on college campuses, Bateman said, but at Penn, cooking mishaps are the primary cause of fires.

While Penn Police are not conducting the arson investigation, Bateman said DPS officials continue to have discussions with students affected by the fire and their parents.

"We've talked with parents about safety tips [and] offered our services to discuss with students any apprehensions they might have," he said.

Students affected by the fire declined to comment on the case.

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