Overview
- Investigators responded early Wednesday, July 15, after officers found three pickup trucks engulfed in flames and the fire spreading into the Tropic Care of Florida commercial building.
- Javian A’Trell Hawkins was arrested July 16 and is charged with armed burglary, arson of a structure or business, three counts of arson involving a vehicle or structure, and criminal mischief; he is being held on a $280,000 bond with a court date set for August.
- Police say the probe used surveillance footage, witness identifications, physical evidence and an accelerant-detection K-9, and that detectives worked with the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office to quickly identify a suspect.
- Owner Tony Romano said the blaze destroyed offices, equipment and vehicles and disrupted operations that support about 300 families, and neighboring businesses have offered space, power and labor to help recover work.
- Hawkins is a former Brevard high school standout who spent time on NFL practice squads and received a Super Bowl ring with the Rams; investigators continue to process evidence, surveillance video has not been released, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.