Hall County Fire Rescue (HCFR) recently recognized a citizen whose help lead to the arrest of an arson suspect.
HALL CO. FIRE RESCUE (HCFR) NEWS RELEASE:
“In February of this year, Jordan Castillo was returning home from work when he witnessed a man exit a residence that was engulfed in
flames. He quickly called 911 and also recorded the incident with his cell phone.
The video evidence was utilized by Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office and Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators during the investigation. Castillo’s accurate description of the suspect and his recording of the incident enabled investigators to make an arrest within the same day.
“Mr. Castillo recognized the extreme situation that he was presented with and was able to remain calm and provide investigators with accurate and beneficial information,” said Lt. Cacey Henderson, an investigator with
the Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Afterward, Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office investigators nominated Mr.Castillo for a reward provided by Georgia Arson Control (GAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting arson by encouraging individuals to report information about incidents of arson. Mr. Castillo was unaware of the nomination, and he did receive a reward from the GAC last week.
The investigation was a joint effort between investigators of the Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office: Deputy Fire Marshal JR Tucker, Lt. Cacey
Henderson, and Lt. Wayne Whaley; and Hall County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Eric Shaw.
Without Castillo’s witness statement, video, and
timeline of events, there would not have been a conviction…”