Man held in fire is not a suspect in other arsons

The man says he and friends were after reward money offered in the recent string of arsons.

By KATHRYN WEXLER and ANGELA MOORE

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 18, 2000

[Times photo: Thomas Goethe] Carl Simmons is led from the Tampa Police Department by Michael Gonzalez of the Tampa Fire Marshal's Office. Simmons is accused of burning a house, but has not been linked to other fires.

Carl Lester Simms, 53, told investigators he worked out a plot with his friends to collect a $30,000 arson reward by torching the vacant house at 2018 N 11 St. early Tuesday and having his buddies turn him in.

Simms said it was "a joke," said Tampa Fire Marshal's investigator Michael Gonzalez.

Simms was charged with second-degree arson and was held in lieu of $15,500 bail. He does not have a permanent address, according to jail records.

"We have a few things we're looking into, but we've only connected him to this fire, and we doubt he's involved in the other ones," Gonzalez said. "He's cooperated the whole time, told us everything about how the fire started and why he did it."

The arrest comes as a task force of local, state and federal officials tries to stem the fires in Ybor City and Tampa Heights. A $30,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the person or people responsible, and residents in the 3-square-mile area have mobilized, taking nightly walking tours to protect the neighborhood.

The fire on N 11th Street marked the 34th suspicious fire or arson in that area since June.

Simms has a long arrest history in Hillsborough, including charges of trespassing and battery. In 1986, he was charged with first-degree arson, but the resolution of that case was not known Wednesday.

Gonzalez explained Simms' motive this way: "He and some friends were sitting around drinking and talking about the reward money. That's when he told them that he ought to set a fire and let them collect the $30,000 reward. It was kind of a joke, but he was drinking and ended up following through."

Simms told officials he used paper and a lighter to torch the house, which was heavily damaged. A police dog tracked a scent from the home to a phone booth on Nebraska Avenue, where Simms was arrested.

Eddie Serrallas, president of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, said residents are still patrolling to discourage would-be arsonists. But he said he fears more fires may be forthcoming.

"My opinion, there's a lot of copy-catting here . . . all I know is I just hope that this ends," Serrallas said.

But Gonzalez said investigators and police are making their presence felt to thwart such motives.

"We have a lot of visibility in the neighborhood now," he said.

-- Kathryn Wexler can be reached at (813) 226-3386 or wexler@sptimes.com. Angela Moore can be reached at (813) 226-3373 or amoore@sptimes.com

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