Man suspected of January arson arrested

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Back in January, The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene of an apartment that had caught on fire.

Once the fire was contained, police were told that the fire had been started intentionally.

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One of the residents in the unit that caught on fire, Neal Wilkins, was immediately suspected of arson.

Officers spoke with the suspect’s roommate who told police that while he was in the apartment, he started to smell gasoline.

When he left his room, he noticed the apartment was on fire. Thankfully, he was able to run to safety.

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This Tuesday, February 20, Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office noticed a suspicious vehicle parked outside of Myrtle Avenue with its lights on.

JSO deputies approached the vehicle and noticed the occupant was sitting in the backseat. A search of the vehicle’s license plate revealed the registered owner was Neal Wilkins, who was suspected of arson after January’s apartment fire.

Reports state that police searched the suspect through police database and were able to confirm the person in the vehicle was Neal Wilkins.

The suspect was immediately arrested and read his miranda rights before he was transported to the pre-detention facility.

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