Finger Found In Glove Points Police To Suspected Arsonist

TITUSVILLE (CBS4) - A severed finger, left inside a glove, led police to a suspected arsonist.

It happened Friday in Titusville when police and firefighters were called to a house on fire in the 700 block of North Dixie Highway. Investigators determined that the fire was set intentionally with gasoline.

Outside the front door, police found a severed finger inside a glove. A search for its owner in local hospitals led to the arrest of 24-year-old Ismael Ortiz, who had been treated for a similar injury. Ortiz, who was reportedly dating a woman who lived inside the scorched home, has been charged with arson of a dwelling and arson to defraud. He is being held on bond at the Brevard County Jail.

Authorities are searching for the homeowner Samuel L. Davis, 58. Police believe that Davis paid Ortiz to burn the home down in an attempt to collect insurance money.

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