Electrician's hot line tip led to arrest in '05 arson case

Electrician Mike Jackling received a startling proposition when he went to discuss what he thought would be typical repairs on a North Charleston home about two years ago.

" 'Mike, I want you to torch my house,' " Jackling remembered the homeowner saying.

The electrician turned down the offer and soon reported his conversation to fire investigators. About two weeks later, on Jan. 18, 2005, the home at 1825 Leland St. caught fire. Owner Phillip David Abele later was arrested, and authorities give most of the credit to Jackling's tip.

Abele pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to presenting a false claim for payment, and Circuit Judge Markley Dennis ordered him to pay $72,000 to State Farm Insurance Co.

Most arson tipsters choose to remain anonymous. Jackling was the first in the history of the state's arson hot line to come forward publicly when he claimed a $1,000 reward Thursday, which he received after Abele's guilty plea. The North Charleston Fire Department, the state Attorney General's Office and members of the insurance industry praised his help during a news conference at the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center.

Thousands of calls about suspicious fires have been made to the toll-free South Carolina Arson Hotline — 1-800-92-ARSON — since 1982. The hot line once offered a $22,000 reward for information about a church burning and has paid out $7,000 for information about fires at other houses of worship.

Nobody was hurt in the fire at Abele's home, but it posed a huge danger. Natural gas lines contributed to an explosion about 45 minutes into the blaze. Investigators found evidence that gasoline had been poured inside the house, said Benjamin Norris, then North Charleston's chief fire investigator and now the president and chief investigator of Forensic Fire Analysis, a consulting company.

Jackling, now 51 and an employee with Dorchester District 2 schools, said the decision to call authorities was a "no-brainer."

"I couldn't have lived with myself, having known beforehand," he said. "I'm an electrician. The only thing I can figure is somebody like that, they're not wired right."

South Carolina arson tip line

The South Carolina Arson Hotline, 1-800-92-ARSON, is a toll-free statewide number. All tips remain confidential, and callers might be eligible for reward money. In the past five years, more than 7,000 calls have resulted in 375 tips that have led to the arrest and conviction of many arsonists.

Recent unsolved cases

--A Sept. 9, 2006, arson destroyed Bible Way Baptist Church in West Ashley. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was investigating, along with local officials.

--Two men were seen running from the Star of America Motel on Rivers Avenue about the same time a fire erupted on the night of Nov. 3, 2006, leaving the back end of the building gutted.

Fraud

Insurance fraud claims of all types may be reported to the S.C. Insurance Fraud Hotline at 1-888-95-FRAUD. The number connects to the insurance fraud division of the S.C. Attorney General's Office. There is no reward system in place for this number.

Reach Noah Haglund at nhaglund@postandcourier.com or 937-5550.