Arrest made in latest of 70 rural Va. arsons

PARKSLEY, Va. A woman has been charged in connection with the latest of more than 70 arsons on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller says 40-year-old Tonya S. Bundick was arrested shortly after midnight Monday near a vacant residence in the town of Melfa that had been set on fire.

The fire was reported at 11:40 p.m. Monday. It was quickly extinguished and damage was minimal.

Bundick was being held Tuesday at the Accomack County Jail without bond on arson and conspiracy charges. It was unclear if she had an attorney.

There have been more than 70 arsons in Accomack County since November.

Geller said it was too early to say whether the latest arson is linked to the others or whether Bundick was a suspect in the others.

All of the blazes have been set at night, which has made it that much harder to find the arsonist, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid. (Watch his full report at left.)

Philip Kelly, Parksley Volunteer Fire Department chief, said when he arrives at the scenes he feels "Amazement. No one's seen him. Like a ghost. He just vanishes. He disappears."

The search for that ghost is massive, with state police having put in more than 22,000 hours. Federal and local agencies are also involved. There are 700 abandoned buildings in the county and officials are using advanced computer technology to try to predict where the arsonist might strike next.

Residents are afraid he will start using occupied homes.

"Everybody's got lights on. They're, they're scared," said resident Becky Mears.