ATTICA, Ind. (AP) -- Police have arrested a suspect in a series of apparent arson fires last month, one of which destroyed a downtown building that housed an 80-year-old furniture business.
Michael S. Stephens, 20, of Oxford, was arrested Monday on suspicion of arson after questioning by Attica police.
The Oct. 12 fire gutted a 9,000-square-foot building housing L.C. Roemer & Son Furniture and Floor Coverings in the city about 20 miles southwest of Lafayette.
Five other fires that night started in trash bins and did not cause major damage.
Attica Police Chief Gene Snoeberger said Stephens emerged as a suspect within days of the fires. Monday night's interview was the third one the police chief had had with Stephens.
Furniture store owner Tim Roemer was informed of the arrest Monday night.
``I was thrilled,'' Roemer said. ``It didn't change what I have to do, but it's a relief to know that, hopefully, justice will be served.''
Roemer was liquidating his inventory of furniture and planned to reopen the business in another location.
Roemer, who is also a school bus driver, said he remembered Stephens as a high school student, but that he did not believe Stephens had a motive to torch his business.
Snoeberger said he planned to forward information about the investigation on Tuesday to Fountain County Prosecutor Mark McGrady.
