Police: Man accused of setting North Miami Beach house on fire
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
More from Katherine →
A 27-year-old man faced charges on Monday morning after police officers accused him of setting a house on fire in North Miami Beach. Police officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel responded to the house fire shortly before 9:20 a.m. on Friday near Northeast 14th Avenue and 154th Street. A witness told police officers that Jeffthe Arisda collected “napkins, rags, and other items from the dining room table, and threw them into his bedroom,” while “holding a lighter,” according to the police report. Arisda then walked out of his bedroom and “announced that the residence was on fire” before the “thick black smoke and flames ... blew out the bedroom window,” a witness reported, according to police. Arisda denied arson, according to police. Police officers arrested him shortly before 9:25 a.m. on Friday, and corrections booked him at 3:40 p.m. at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral, according to inmate records. Arisda faced three charges: Attempted felony murder,