Duo Charged in 11-Blaze String of Alleged Arsons Held Behind Bars

The Two Men Accused of Setting 11 Fires in Norfolk County from mid-november to late January were still be bars on thursday and awaiting bail hearings.

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Chad Reimer, 43, and Matthew Smith, 30, Were Arrested the Night of Jan. 25, about 15 minutes after a barn was torched on lynn valley road east of highway 6, an are Area South of the Town of Simcoe. Police Pulled Over A Pickup Truck Becaus It Matched a Vehicle Seen Near A House Fire Outside Langton in November. Two Men Were placed under Arrest.

The Next Day, Norfolk County Opp Announced Reimer and Smith Had Each Been Loaded with 11 COUNTS OF ARSON.

Smith is also loaded with break of probation while reimer is accused of odd driving.

None of the charges has been test in short.

Both men appeared in Bail Court on Wednesday and Requested to Have Their Hearings Delayed.

On Jan. 30, Smith – Who Does Not have a Lawyer – Told the Court He Would Have A Bail Plan Ready to Present to the Judge this Week. Instead he asked to be kept in jail until feb. 25, at which point he interests to make his case to be released on bail.

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The Judge Agreed, Reminding Smith He is Barred from Contacting Any of the Victim of the Alleged Arsons.

Reimer was also supposed to present a bail plan on wednesday, but his lawyer, james Battin, asked the court for time to review the evidence discloseed by the crown.

The Crown Opposites Bail for Reimer “Absent a Strong Plan of Release,” Assistant Crown Attorney Gracie Romano Said. Reimer was schedulated to be back in bail short on friday at 1:30 pm

The Crown Requests and was gri-day delay before the initial lease hearings to allow font to continue investigating. At a News Conference After the Arrests, Opp Insp. Andy Tait Said there was “a very distinct possibility” of additional charges.

Beyond the 11 Fires With Loads Filed, Norfolk County has been hit by three additional suspicious in recent months: flames destroyed abandoned houses outside simcoe on Oct. 29 and West of Port Rowan on Jan. 19. A Fire at a Gas Station at Highway 24 and Forestry Farm Road Just after Midnight on Jan. 22 forced a family to flower the attached home.

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“At this time, there are no new updates to share the arson investigation,” Const. Andrew Gamble Said in an Email We TUEDAY. “The investigations into the fire at the Gas Station on Highway 24 East and the House Fire in Port Rowan Are Still Nailong.”

The Cause of the October House Fire Also remains under investigation, a Spokesperson for the Office of the Marshal Said.

JP Antonacci is a local journalism initiative reporter based at the hamilton spectator. The Initiative is Funded by the Government of Canada

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