The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and federal marshals are on the hunt for a serial arsonist who allegedly torched nearly $350,000 worth of RVs last week in Riviera Beach, Fla.
This story by Jorge Milian originally appeared in My Palm Beach Post.
A “wanted” poster released by the Florida Department of Financial Services on Thursday says that Benjamin Harris, 54, has an active warrant for 10 counts of second-degree arson in connection with a fire at Waits’ RV Center, just north of Blue Heron Boulevard and east of Interstate 95.
Owner Bill Waits said eight RVs were a total loss, including a top-of-the-line $180,000 model with marble countertops. After receiving a call from police, Waits watched the blaze from I-95.
“I thought I was out of business,” Waits said. “I was shocked.”
Waits was in for an even bigger surprise.
Surveillance video taken the night of the arson shows Harris wearing a T-shirt with the lettering “Palm Beach RV”, a rival business in suburban West Palm Beach owned by Waits’ older brother, Larry.
Harris is seen getting out of his vehicle with something in his hand, walking into the Waits’ RV Center lot, then later driving away as several vehicles erupt in flames.
Until Harris disappeared Aug. 7 — two days after the alleged arson — he was employed by Palm Beach RV.
