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1 man, 3 juveniles charged with arson in house fire and Culp Weaving fire, Alamance County officials say

1 man, 3 juveniles charged with arson in house fire and Culp Weaving fire, Alamance County officials say
12 NEWS AT FOUR STARTS RIGHT NOW. AT FIRST AT 4:00, ALMOST ONE MONTH AFTER A MASSIVE FIRE AT THE FORMER CULP WEAVING MILL THERE IN GRAHAM, AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE. THE ALAMANCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CHARGED 22 YEAR OLD WAYLAND PHILLIPS WITH FELONY BURNING A CERTAIN BUILDING AND FELONY BREAKING AND ENTERING IN CONNECTION TO THE CULP WEAVER FIRE AND AN ABANDONED HOUSE IN GREEN LEVEL. THEY SAY HE INTENTIONALLY SET. INVESTIGATORS THIS AFTERNOON ALSO TELL US THREE MINORS ARE ALSO CONNECTED TO BOTH OF THESE FIRES. MARIA DEBONE JOINS US LIVE OUTSIDE THE FORMER CULP WEAVING MILL TONIGHT WITH MORE. MARIA, HOW LONG HAS THIS INVESTIGATION LASTED? AND WELL, ALAMANCE COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICIALS SAY THAT THIS FIRE THAT HAPPENED BACK ON NOVEMBER 12TH WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. AN UP UNTIL THEY RECEIVED TIPS FROM MULTIPLE PEOPLE SAYING THAT WAYLAND PHILLIPS, ALONG WITH THREE OTHER JUVENILES, WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FIRE. NOW, ACCORDING TO ALAMANCE COUNTY SHERIFF TERRY JOHNSON, PHILLIPS TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT HE SET THE HOUSE FIRE IN GREEN LEVEL ON NOVEMBER 13TH WITH GASOLINE AND USED PAPERS AND AN OLD DESK AT THE CULT MILL TO SET THE FIRE THERE. JOHNSON SAID INVESTIGATORS HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO GET INSIDE THE BUILDING TO CONFIRM THAT YET, SINCE IT’S UNSTABLE. THE THREE JUVENILES THAT RANGE IN AGES FROM 13 TO 15 YEARS OLD HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH FELONY BURNING CERTAIN BUILDINGS IN CONNECTION WITH THE GREEN LEVEL HOUSE FIRE. ADDITIONAL CHARGES ARE PENDING WHILE THEY REMAIN IN CUSTODY. I TRULY BELIEVE WE’VE THAT ADDITIONAL FIRES WOULD HAVE BEEN SET HAD WE NOT HAD THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT. AND WE APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC CALLING IN AND PROVIDING TIPS, BEING WILLING TO SPEAK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO THAT WE CAN GET THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY IN ORDER TO PREVENT SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC LIKE. AND SHERIFF JOHNSON SAID THEY’RE GOING TO LOOK INTO PAST FIRES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN ALAMANCE COUNTY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN QUESTIONABLE. THAT’S INCLUDING THE FIRE THAT HAPPENED HERE AT THE CULP WEAVING MILL BACK IN 20 2022. DEVANTE AND MARIA, YOU MENTIONED THEM LOOKING INTO PRIOR FIRES. DOES THAT INCLUDE THE LARGE FIRE THAT HAPPENED AT THE FORMER CAROLINA MILL JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT, DEVONTE. SO THE SHERIFF TODAY ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS GOING TO PROVIDE A $2,000 REWARD FOR ANYBODY THAT BRINGS INFORMATION THAT THAT WOULD LEAD TO AN ARREST WITH THAT CAROLINA MILL FIRE BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THAT THAT FIRE WAS INTENTIONALLY SET AND WAS NOT ACCIDENTAL. IN GRAHAM MARIA DEBONE WXII 12 NEWS.
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1 man, 3 juveniles charged with arson in house fire and Culp Weaving fire, Alamance County officials say
One man and three juveniles have been charged with arson in connection to two fires, according to deputies with the Alamance County Sheriff's Office (ACSO).On Nov. 12, at 7:56 p.m., multiple fire agencies and officers with the Graham Police Department responded to 300 E Parker St in reference to an active structure fire. The former Culp Weaving Mill partially collapsed due to that fire. The Culp Weaving Mill also previously caught on fire in October 2022. On Nov. 13, just past midnight, deputies responded to a house fire in the 900 block of Apple Blossom Lane, in the Green Level neighborhood of Burlington. Upon arrival, the Haw River Fire Chief and Alamance County Fire Marshal advised they believed the fire was intentionally set. The home was vacant.During the investigation, ACSO investigators received an anonymous tip that Wayland Phillips, 22, was possibly involved with the Culp Weaving Mill fire in Graham.Investigators conducted interviews, search warrants, and additional investigative measures and it was discovered that Phillips was involved in the Culp Weaving fire, as well as the house fire in Green Level. The sheriff's office and the police department have also filed petitions against three juvenile suspects. They range from ages 13 to 15, are in secure custody, and are each facing one count of felony burning certain buildings.The three juveniles also each have a pending charge of one count of felony breaking and entering.Phillips is charged with two counts of felony burning certain buildings, two counts of felony breaking and entering, and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.Phillips' bond was initially set at $400,000, but a judge later reduced it to $100,000. A third fire in Alamance County on Carolina Mill Road is still being investigated, and although no suspects have been identified, but the sheriff believes it was intentionally set.= The Culp Weaving Mill has been abandoned for years, and it's something the mayor of Graham, Jennifer Talley, said the city has assessed the building and the property owners for quite some time.Talley said in an interview in November when the fire occurred that "we have done things within our legal rights to be able to do, but people have property rights."In the meantime, while the building remains how it is on East Parker Street, Talley said they've tried to put measures in place to keep people out of it and have tried to assess the building several times to try and bring it into compliance."It's difficult to keep people from breaking in," Talley said. Sheriff Johnson said Phillips admitted that he set the fire in Green Level with gasoline and the fire at Culp Weaving Mill was caused by old papers while he was being questioned.Johnson said they're now going to look into other fires that have occurred in the past that may have been questionable. That includes the first fire that happened at the Culp Weaving Mill in 2022 and the fire that happened at the former Carolina Mill on November 25th of this year.Johnson said he's going to offer a $2,000 reward for anyone who brings information forward that leads to the arrest of those involved with the Carolina Mill Fire.

One man and three juveniles have been charged with arson in connection to two fires, according to deputies with the Alamance County Sheriff's Office (ACSO).

On Nov. 12, at 7:56 p.m., multiple fire agencies and officers with the Graham Police Department responded to 300 E Parker St in reference to an active structure fire. The former Culp Weaving Mill partially collapsed due to that fire. The Culp Weaving Mill also previously caught on fire in October 2022.

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On Nov. 13, just past midnight, deputies responded to a house fire in the 900 block of Apple Blossom Lane, in the Green Level neighborhood of Burlington. Upon arrival, the Haw River Fire Chief and Alamance County Fire Marshal advised they believed the fire was intentionally set. The home was vacant.

During the investigation, ACSO investigators received an anonymous tip that Wayland Phillips, 22, was possibly involved with the Culp Weaving Mill fire in Graham.

wayland phillips
Hearst OwnedAlamance County Sheriff’s Office
Wayland Phillips 

Investigators conducted interviews, search warrants, and additional investigative measures and it was discovered that Phillips was involved in the Culp Weaving fire, as well as the house fire in Green Level.

The sheriff's office and the police department have also filed petitions against three juvenile suspects. They range from ages 13 to 15, are in secure custody, and are each facing one count of felony burning certain buildings.

The three juveniles also each have a pending charge of one count of felony breaking and entering.

Phillips is charged with two counts of felony burning certain buildings, two counts of felony breaking and entering, and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Phillips' bond was initially set at $400,000, but a judge later reduced it to $100,000.

A third fire in Alamance County on Carolina Mill Road is still being investigated, and although no suspects have been identified, but the sheriff believes it was intentionally set.

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The Culp Weaving Mill has been abandoned for years, and it's something the mayor of Graham, Jennifer Talley, said the city has assessed the building and the property owners for quite some time.

Talley said in an interview in November when the fire occurred that "we have done things within our legal rights to be able to do, but people have property rights."

In the meantime, while the building remains how it is on East Parker Street, Talley said they've tried to put measures in place to keep people out of it and have tried to assess the building several times to try and bring it into compliance.

"It's difficult to keep people from breaking in," Talley said.

Sheriff Johnson said Phillips admitted that he set the fire in Green Level with gasoline and the fire at Culp Weaving Mill was caused by old papers while he was being questioned.

Johnson said they're now going to look into other fires that have occurred in the past that may have been questionable. That includes the first fire that happened at the Culp Weaving Mill in 2022 and the fire that happened at the former Carolina Mill on November 25th of this year.

Johnson said he's going to offer a $2,000 reward for anyone who brings information forward that leads to the arrest of those involved with the Carolina Mill Fire.