Alleged Serial Arsonist Arrested In Fort Worth

Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter

FORT WORTH (CBS11) - Fort Worth fire investigators say they've captured a man responsible for as many as 15 fires in an historic Fort Worth neighborhood.

Imagine at least a house or building a week in your neighborhood going up in flames.

"Or even more," said Historic Southside resident and president of the homeowners association Al Piper. "Sometimes even a couple set in any given night."

A house gutted by fire in the 1300 block of South Freeway is an example of that. The fire here was set less than an hour after a fire about half a mile away.

And that's how this arsonist operated, investigators say, targeting vacant houses all in the same neighborhood.

"Let's just say having some abandoned houses nearby where I live certainly made me uneasy," Piper said.

Police arrested George Wayne Reibert. Records show he was arrested three times for arson in Oklahoma and had a parole violation for arson in Louisiana.

Detectives say Reibert was a recluse living in the area and was finally found thanks to surveillance video and tips from neighborhood residents.

Investigators say even though he targeted vacant houses Reibert is still a dangerous serial arsonist.

"We don't believe me check the occupancy in any of the houses," said Fort Worth Fire Department Investigator Brad Sims. "So there could've been somebody in the house even though they are vacant. And also there was some exposure to wear occupied residence is received some damage because they were next to a vacant house.

So far, Reibert has been charged with setting two houses on far. He is a person of interest in as many as 13 other fires.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)