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Center City man charged with 3 arsons including Famous 4th Street Deli

Published  April 8, 2017 5:11pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

CENTER CITY (WTXF) - The Citywide Arson Task Force has arrested a man after investigating three fires they declared arsons since January.

According to police, on Jan. 17 at about 5:45am, a fire on the 800 block of Ranstead Street caused structural damage to an overhead facade.

Ten days later, on Jan. 27, at about 4am, a fire on the 700 block of S. 5th Street damaged a parked vehicle.

Then, on Feb. 12th, at about 4:25am, a fire on the 700 block of S. 4th Street near the back of the Famous 4th Street Deli caused structural damage to a brick wall.

Police released surveillance video soon after that and the Citywide Arson Task Force developed Juan Barkley, 59, as a suspect.

Friday morning, they arrested him at his home without incident.

Barkley faces three counts of each of these charges: arson, causing or risking a catastrophe, failure to prevent a catastrophe, criminal mischief, and possessing an instrument of crime.

Neighbors had told FOX 29 News the deli fire and earlier trash fires had them on edge.