WARWICK, NY — A man allegedly set fire to the home of a New York state trooper’s father in revenge after receiving a traffic ticket from the officer, according to investigators.
Tyler Williams, 26, was charged with arson after police said he intentionally set the fire in Warwick, New York, in December 2023.
“It’s incomprehensible to think that we would be targeted, and that our families and our homes would be targeted,” said Warwick Police Chief John Rader.
The fire started hours after the trooper issued a ticket
The fire happened hours after the officer gave Williams a ticket, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
“He researched the soldier’s name, found an address in Warwick and went to that house and deliberately set the fire,” Rader said.
The soldier’s father and other family members escaped without injury, but workers are still repairing the damage nearly five months later.
There was relief in the Warwick community after police arrested Williams, but disbelief at the allegations.
“My son-in-law is in the NYPD and they are concerned. Cops are often concerned about people trying to get revenge, but when they do that against his father, it’s really the lowest of the low,” said Allen Clarkson.
Investigators have been monitoring the suspect’s online activities
Investigators obtained multiple search warrants, many for computer and smartphone data, before charging Williams with arson.
“You walk around and leave a digital footprint when you carry a mobile phone. When you go online, when you access your computer, you leave that same, so to speak, ‘electronic fingerprint’,” says Phil Grimaldi, host of the Podcast ‘Police for the fool’.
Williams made a brief appearance in court Wednesday and was ordered held without bail. CBS New York reached out to his attorney and girlfriend for comment but did not hear back.
Tony Aiello
