The Palm Bay Arsonist Walks Thru My Yard

7:45am I was in my nightgown out in my backyard, setting the sprinklers for the day. I finished and stepped behind my eleagnus hedge to go into my back porch when I hear a man’s voice and I looked up and saw him. He was maybe 5’10-6ft, slim build 170-185, blonde hair, kinda of Tom Petty -ish looking and wearing a blue tee shirt.  I heard him say “I think I got the wrong one”   Not quietly to himself but as though he was on a cell phone he might have had in his hand as he walked, he had a small something with him. When I heard his voice, I looked over. Had he not spoken I would not have looked that way and would not have seen him at all.  He was coming out of my east woods behind the satellite dish and walking along the east side of the house toward the street. I walked into my back door and right out the front to see what kind of vehicle he was driving, thinking he might be a utility worker and by the time I got to the street, he was nowhere to be seen, no cars on the street, plus my giant kitty Izzy was laying in the middle of the path, so I know the man did not pass him, and that he had to have gone right back into my east woods. 

I walked down to the neighbors at 593 Escarole to the east of me to tell them and see if it was someone staying with them. They were walking up the street toward me. The news helicopter was overhead and an officer in a white plain car drove by us really fast. The neighbors who had been watching the news, told me they were looking for someone.

Now that I think of it, the only way for him to get back out without me seeing him was if, when I walked into the house, he backtracked and went back out the back woods, walked thru the path behind the lots and out behind a few houses down. There are privacy fences everywhere else right there.

8:15am I called the Palm Bay Police Department

9:30am saw suspect photo on channel 13 news, might be older mug shot, not sure that’s who I saw, they said he was taken to Palm Bay Community Hospital 4 miles away, so I drove there and went into emergency room to see if I could catch a glimpse and id the shirt and him. A Cape Canaveral officer told me I had to leave so I did.

945am tc Rene at PBPD, she transferred me to Lt Rogers and I told him I am not sure that’s who I saw; he will have a detective working the case call me, doesn’t know when that might be

10am I called Channel 13 news 407-513-1300 after seeing their video of suspect’s home after the arrest video, asked if they had video of the guy being put into the car so I could see him; they said no but said channel 2 had video of the guy getting into car right now.

I turned to channel 2 and saw the clip and it was the same guy I saw, no doubt about it,

I called Lt. Rogers back and told him I saw the guy on Channel 2 news and he said a detective will be giving me a call. Brian Crowder is the suspect’s name

1:25pm   Detective Steve H called, he is coming with bloodhounds and a team.

Quite a day.

 

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