A McComb man allegedly set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s home and took some of her landlord’s lawn equipment after she reportedly broke up with him.
Pike County Chief Investigator Chris Bell said Edward Ratliff, 49, was charged with arson and burglary on Wednesday. Ratliff remains in the Pike County jail in lieu of posting $10,000 bond.
Bell said Progress volunteer firefighters responded to a fire at 1119 Thomas Grove Road at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. After they extinguished the fire, which did not destroy the home, they discovered that gasoline had been used to start it.
Firefighters then called Pike County Civil Defense Director Richard Coghlan and the Sheriff’s Department to investigate.
Bell said that in the process investigating the blaze, authorities found that someone broke into a storage room located behind the home and took a Stihl trimmer and a gas can owned by Robinson’s landlord James Sandifer.
Ratliff became a suspect after deputies learned he and Robinson recently had an argument.
Bell said investigators made contact with Ratliff on Wednesday after he was seen riding a bicycle while carrying a trimmer and a gas can.
He said Ratliff admitted to Detective Sgt. Robbie Roberts that he set fire to the home to scare Robinson and he took the items from the storage room because Sandifer made him mad when the landlord asked Ratliff not to return to the home.
