Woman to get reward for help in arson case
Authorities said the witness was instrumental in recording a confession.
YOUNGSTOWN -- An Ellenwood Avenue woman is getting a $3,000 reward for providing authorities with information leading to the arrest and conviction of an arsonist.
Linda Malcomb, 37, will receive a check from the Ohio Blue Ribbon Arson Committee in a ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at Fire Station No. 1, 420 Martin Luther King Blvd.
"This individual is to be commended for coming forward and providing information to the Youngstown Fire Department," said Lt. Kevin J. Johnson. "She went beyond what anyone would normally do in this situation."
What she did
Johnson said Malcomb turned out to be a vital link leading to the arrest and conviction of Richard A. Rice for the arson fire at 2112 Donald Ave. on Feb. 8.
Rice was a boarder in Malcomb's home at the time, and she wore a concealed recording device to record his detailed confession of how he set the fire, Johnson said.
Rice was sentenced to four years in prison for arson, Johnson said.
The Ohio Blue Ribbon Arson Committee recognizes private citizens who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of arsonists.
Since its inception in 1978, it has presented 377 rewards totaling $371,800.
The reward pool is funded by Ohio property/casualty insurance companies.
The program is credited with helping to solve at least 438 arson fires, and 103 of those blazes were attempts to defraud an insurance company. Breaking those cases saved more than $4.3 million in fraudulent claims, according to the committee.
State fire marshal statistics show 5,150 fires of suspicious origin occurred across Ohio in 2002. Those fires caused 30 civilian deaths and 165 fire department injuries.