The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced charges against a Hillsborough man accused of both causing a recent fire at a small business complex and a series of home break-ins.
A release from the office said 49-year-old James Pickens Jr. was charged on Tuesday related to a fire at 1515 Coleman Loop Road that began late Saturday night. It comes after Pickens was already arrested, charged and released in a series of break-ins that same evening north of Hillsborough along Boogaboo Trail and River Run Lane.
Overnight Saturday, a witness reported to investigators that they saw a person walking away from a running vehicle left in the road and heard gunshots shortly after losing sight of the person. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the vehicle still running and the driver’s door left open. A search of the area led them to discover one residence broken into, before the deputies reported hearing another gunshot and finding another residence broken into.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said deputies then used advanced search tactics to comb the area and locate Pickens, who was then taken into custody. At the time, he was charged with two counts of felony breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering, armed to the terror of the people, and other misdemeanor charges. According to the release, Pickens left the detention center on Monday evening after making bond.
James Pickens Jr., 49. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)
Investigators charged Pickens on Tuesday, though, with additional crimes after investigators located evidence the sheriff’s office said connects him to the fire on Coleman Loop Road, which is a complex sometimes called the Major Business System building. The Orange Rural Fire Department reported arriving to the address around 11:22 p.m. on Saturday to find “heavy flames” on the building’s roof and heavy smoke indoors. The fire took several days to stop — with the Orange Rural Fire Department saying Monday that crews were still on-site to stop ongoing hot spots and smoldering materials around the roof. In Monday’s update, the fire department said it appears the blaze was “not an accidentally set fire.”
Based on their evidence, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it charged Pickens on with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and the burning of a commercial structure. Because of his new charges, the Pre-Trial Integrity Act requires Pickens to be held at the detention center for up to 48 hours without bond.
Tuesday’s release from the sheriff’s office said Pickens’ next court date is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
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