Reward offered in Dudley arson cases

Dudley, N.C. — Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders announced a $1,000 reward Thursday for information leading to an arrest of the person who set two fires at a Dudley home in recent days.

Deputies responded to a suspicious fire last Friday at 319 Brentwood Drive. A woman said she was lying on her living room couch at about 6:10 a.m. when she saw orange flames at her front door and heard a popping sound. The woman said she shouted to her sister, and with the help of other family members, they were able to help get her disabled mother out of the house.

The fire caused an estimated $1,500 in damage.

At about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a fire in the home's carport. A passing driver saw the fire, notified a neighbor to call 911 and was able to extinguish much of the fire with a garden hose, authorities said.

No one was home at the time. The second fire caused an estimated $1,100 in damages.

"Whoever the culprit is has no respect for human life or the consequences of their actions," Winders said in a statement. "This home was occupied by three ladies ranging from 50 years of age to 80 years of age – one of them handicapped. These victims are respectable people, and there is no way any of them have done anything to deserve this type of retaliation or revenge.”

Investigators have recovered some written threats regarding the fires, he said, declining to elaborate.

Anyone with information about the fires is asked to call the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at 919-731-1481 or Wayne County Crime Stoppers at 919-735-2255.