Man charged in multiple Camden arsons

Camden, NJ (WTXF) Camden County Police say they have arrested and charged a man in connection with setting multiple fires in Camden last weekend.

According to police, from July 2-4, the Camden County Police Department, Camden Fire Department and other emergency responders, including fire departments from several nearby municipalities, responded to 16 suspicious fires in South Camden, 14 of which were in abandoned homes and two of which involved parked vehicles.

All of the blazes were brought under control, and seven firefighters responding to the fires were treated for injuries.

A team of Camden County Police Department detectives, working in conjunction with the Camden Fire Department, City of Camden Fire Marshal, Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Office of the Camden County Fire Marshal, Camden County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of a special task force, diligently investigated these incidents and worked to gather evidence and information. The hard work by detectives led to the identification of a single suspect - Charles Ricks Jr., 44, of Camden, according to police.

Police say on Thursday morning at approximately 7:30 a.m., a detective was in the area of River Road and Federal Street when he observed Ricks walking along Federal Street. Detective James then approached Ricks and was able to place him under arrest without incident.

According to authorities, Ricks is charged with Aggravated Arson for 14 fires and was remanded to the county jail with bail set at $200,000 cash or bond.

The case remains under investigation, and anyone with information about this suspect or any of these incidents should call the Camden County Police Department tip line at (856) 757-7042.