Authorities investigate 3 arson cases at properties owned by same man

CHARLOTTE — We’re learning more about who police are investigating after an arson that tore through several Uptown Charlotte townhomes.

The May 30 fire left six people without a place to live.

Charlotte Fire said it started when a house was set on fire on purpose. According to a search warrant, detectives are investigating the owner of that property. We aren’t naming him because he hasn’t been charged.

Sal Sapienza and Christine Zivica are still puzzled after the fire raged through their Uptown townhouse, killing their beloved cat.

“You know, we are doing the best we can,” Zivica said.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever get an answer to the question. Why?” Sapienza said.

They lived next door to the house that Charlotte Fire says was intentionally set on fire.

The warrant says the house “was under construction and had to stop work... For not obtaining permits before working.” The day before the massive fire, firefighters said someone tried setting the house on fire but was unsuccessful.

The story doesn’t stop there, though. According to the warrant, the same owner has a property off Crater Street in southeast Charlotte. Detectives say it, too, was intentionally set on fire on May 7 after construction on it stopped because of building code issues. The warrant says for that fire, the owner “made an insurance claim on his loss.”

But even before that, last year, Monroe police investigated an arson at a house owned by the same person. Court documents say the same thing: Another construction site was stopped by building code issues.

The owner collected $127,000 from insurance.

“He’s either wildly unlucky or the pieces have to come together somehow,” Zivica said.

Sapienza and Zivica are hopeful for answers and accountability as they try to move forward.

“We’re doing OK, we’re sticking together and staying strong. It’s a transition period,” Sapienza said.

The family doesn’t understand how the owner of the property was able to continue getting permits.

He has not been charged in their case or for any of the other fires. We do know one priority for detectives is searching his phone records.

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