One Year After Baltimore Unrest, DOJ Still Looking For Arson, Armed Robbery Suspects
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- There were more than 60 buildings set on fire during last year's unrest. Several people have been arrested, but federal agents are still investigating several others and say they won't stop until the perpetrators are caught.
Meghan McCorkell has new evidence in some of the cases.
The ATF is offering $10,000 rewards for information leading to arrests in the open cases.
- Arson at CVS Pharmacy, 2560 W. Franklin StreetArson at Cash USA Pawn Shop, 2109 W. Pratt Street
- Arson at Papa Palace Restaurant, 2426 East Monument Street
- Arson at Rite Aid Pharmacy, 300 N. Martin Luther King Blvd
- Arson at Mary Harkins Senior Center, 1600 N. Chester Street
- Burglary at Westside Pharmacy, 2021 W. Pratt Street
- Armed Robbery at Rite Aid Pharmacy, 3425 Clifton Avenue
Dozens of buildings--up in flames. They were the target of arsonists during the unrest just one year ago.
The Mary Harvin Senior Center has since been rebuilt, but investigators still don't know who torched it.
"We're not going to just drop these cases if we can't figure it out within a short period of time," said Dave Cheplak, ATF Baltimore.
It's one of seven open federal investigations from the uprising, including an arson at Cash USA Pawn Shop.
There is a newly released audio recording inside that store at the time the fire was lit. Investigators are hoping someone will recognize the voices.
Investigators believe the same people who burned down the pawn shop may be responsible for a burglary just one block away. Surveillance images were taken inside the Westside Pharmacy.
Investigators say many of the businesses targeted were family owned.
"They were devastating, and several of those businesses are still not operational at this time," Cheplak said.
The burnt out building shells are a constant reminder to the neighborhood.
"It just makes the community look bad. It's terrible," one man said.
"All you can do is really fix it up and put some more surveillance out here or something," said another.
"There were a lot of people in there at the time, so somebody knows," said Cheplak.
The ATF is just hoping someone comes forward.
ATF officials say they've already paid out thousands in reward money for tips that led to arrests in the other cases.
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