The Farmville Police Department (FPD) has charged Longwood University student Briana Person with Arson to an Occupied Dwelling following a Feb. 9 fire on the 100 block of High Street during a party. Patrick Orville Amick, a Fort Bragg, N.C. resident who is in the United States Army, faces the same charges.
According to an FPD press release, officers responded to the arson at approximately 12:18 a.m. FPD Chief of Police Doug Mooney told The Rotunda that the arson “would have ended up with fatalities” if not for the actions of a Longwood University student who put out the fire with his hands. Mooney said the student received second-degree burns to his hands as a result and called him a hero.
Mooney said Person and Amick were asked to leave the party. The student discovered the fire at the corner of the house shortly after the pair left.
Following witness interviews and other evidence, Mooney said detectives obtained enough evidence to arrest Person and Amick. This was a joint investigation between the FPD and the Longwood University Police Department (LUPD).
Person is currently being held without bond in Piedmont Regional Jail, while Amick is held without bond at North Carolina’s Cumberland County Detention Center pending extradition to Virginia.
According to Code of Virginia 18.2-77, “Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc.,” Arson to an Occupied Dwelling is “a felony, punishable by imprisonment for life or for any period not less than five years and, subject to subdivision g of § 18.2-10, a fine of not more than $100,000.”
Mooney said the FPD will continue to accept any tips regarding the arson and individuals involved. Individuals with information about the incident can reach the FPD at 434-392-3332 and the LUPD at 434- 395-2091.
