CFO Jimmy Patronis Announces Jacksonville Arson Arrest

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Willie Hill in Jacksonville on one charge of Arson of an Occupied Dwelling for his alleged involvement in intentionally setting a trailer on fire.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, "In many of our arson cases, the perpetrators are repeat offenders. This suspect was in possession of drugs and had an outstanding warrant at the time of arrest, and our goal is to keep repeat offenders like him off the streets. Thank you to all of the law enforcement in Jacksonville and all of our DFS detectives that helped with this arrest and helped to keep the suspect away from doing additional harm in our communities."

On Friday, February 3, 2023, a vehicle fire occurred on McLauren Road in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department requested assistance from the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations (BFAEI) in conducting an origin and cause investigation into the incident. The suspect was taken into custody by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office that were present at the scene. The BFAEI detective on scene was advised that the suspect was in possession of "Crystal Meth" and that the suspect had an outstanding warrant for Sexual Battery. Additionally, the suspect was found to be in Violation of Probation on Burglary Charges.

The suspect was arrested for arson relating to the fire on scene and it was revealed he admitted to a neighbor that he "caught the trailer on fire". An origin and cause examination was done on scene and the fire is still under investigation.

Willie Hill was arrested and transported to the Duval County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

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About CFO Jimmy Patronis  
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS).