Kansas City Man Charged After Admitting to Dozens of Fires at Vacant Apartment Complex
The arrest follows months of repeated blazes that put firefighters and neighbors at risk and has renewed pressure to clean up the blighted Olive Park Village site.
Overview
- Jackson County prosecutors charged 26-year-old Kevone Allen with second-degree burglary and second-degree arson and a judge set bond at $50,000 with special conditions.
- Court records say Allen told police he had been living inside the vacant Olive Park Village buildings since winter and admitted he likely set more than 30 fires.
- Officers arrested Allen after a burglary call and a Kansas City Fire Department drone located him, and police recovered a yellow backpack containing matches plus lighters on his person.
- Officials differ on the exact tally of blazes under review, with the KCPD Bomb and Arson Unit citing 19 investigated fires while other statements say more than 30, and investigators say the probe remains active.
- The fires strained emergency crews, injured firefighters and unsettled neighbors, and local leaders say the arrest and the county's dedicated arson team could speed criminal cases and push the city to remediate or demolish the property.