New Smyrna Beach, FL – A 27-year-old Edgewater man is behind bars for trying to burn down a building on US 1 in New Smyrna Beach last week.
Thomas Hoover is held on $25,000 bond on arson and burglary charges at Volusia County Jail as of 5pm Friday, according to the VCJ website.
The building Hoover allegedly tried to burn down around 7pm on July 31st is part of a small antiques shop at 524 North Dixie Freeway.
New Smyrna Beach Police Department Lieutenant Shane Riggle says Hoover bought a gas can and gasoline at a nearby gas station just before coming to the store.
“He then drives to 524 North Dixie Freeway, kicks in the door, and dumps the gasoline throughout the structure,” Riggle added. “He then lights the structure on fire and leaves.”
The New Smyrna Beach Fire Department managed to get to the scene quickly after getting a 911 call and confined the fire to a bedroom, causing minimal damage.
Riggle noted that a NSBPD officer also spotted smoke coming from the building just before firefighters got on scene and that the State Fire Marshal’s Office helped NSBPD investigators determine the fire was really arson.
“[Investigators] learned the suspect in the incident was having some type of disagreement with another local man who used to lease the property,” Riggle noted. “The suspect, believing the local man still utilized the property, went to the location and attempted to burn it down.”
No one was in the building at the time, per NSBPD.
Hoover was arrested on Wednesday after fire marshals got an arrest warrant signed by a judge, according to NSBPD.
VCJ records show Hoover’s been booked there 5 other times since April 2007, most recently in February 2012 and July 2011 on armed robbery charges.
Thomas Hoover (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
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