Puente fire suspects return to the court on Monday

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The four suspects charged in relation to The fire that damaged the Daniel Carter beard bridge and the closing of the 471 interstate in southern direction for months are expected in court on Monday.

They are expected to begin to appear at 9 in the morning before the judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Hamilton County, Leslie Ghiz.

Terry Stiles, 39, from Arlington Heights and Zachary Stumpf, 23, from Owensville in Clermont County, each faces three fires of fire caused and a fire of fire caused.

Both are established for competition audiences to determine if they can go to trial at this time.

They declared themselves innocent and could serve up to four decades in prison after the conviction.

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The other two suspects, James Hamilton, 26, and Kaitlen Hall, 24, both of Arlington Heights, will be assigned to trial dates if they do not change their current supplications of non -guancia.

If it is convicted, Hamilton and Hall could face a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

Hamilton and Hall are accused of giving deceptive information to researchers.

That prevented the investigation of the bridge fire, according to prosecutors, and delayed the arrest of the alleged incendiary, Stiles and Stumpf.

Prosecutors have a lot of evidence that they plan to use against them, as shown in the judicial records.

It includes video surveillance of cameras in Sawyer Park and nearby pickletball courts; Several witness statements, still photos of the Ohio Department of Transportation, a metal can, a board composed of the recreation courtyard, rubber floors and “laboratory analysis”; Hall cell phone download, a phone call recorded with Stiles and a registration reader report.

Prosecutors say that Stumpf, Stiles and Hall led to the beginning of November 1 to the patio of recreation under the bridge along the I-471, which transports almost 100,000 vehicles daily between Ohio and Kentucky over the Ohio River.

Stumpf and Stiles began a fire in the patio of recreation that caused serious structural damage to the bridge before fleeing the scene in a truck with Hall, as shown by the judicial records.

“This damage caused the bridge to close to all the traffic and place motorists on the bridge at the time of the fire in the extreme danger of death or other serious damage,” prosecutors wrote in a recent press release.

The bridge repairs are underway, but all the lanes towards the south of the I-471 have closed from the fire and are not expected to open again until March.

The fire caused damage of around $ 11 million to the bridge and another $ 2 million in the property of the city of Cincinnati, according to judicial presentations.

Hall is accused of making false statements to researchers about their whereabouts and the whereabouts of Stumpf and Stiles on night of the fire.

When the police were sent to arrest Stumpf and Stiles on December 10, Hamilton made additional false statements to the police in an attempt to hide their whereabouts, according to prosecutors.

“The behavior of Zachary Stumpf and Terry Stiles endangered the lives of innocent people, it cost Ohio’s taxpayers millions of dollars and bothered thousands of travelers and travelers who trust the Daniel Carter Beard bridge to arrive and from the Cincinnati City, “said Hamilton County prosecutor, Melissa Powers.

“And, instead of doing the right thing and presenting themselves, they enlisted other people to lie for them in an attempt to evade punishment. My sincere hope is that each one passes the maximum amount of time as possible after bars. “

Stumpf and Stiles bonds are carried out in the Hamilton County prison with bonds of $ 1 million each.

If any of the men is released from the jail on bail, it must be under the house arrest of “blocking” of 24-7 with electronic monitoring, ordered the judge.

Hall and Hamilton bonds were established at $ 60,000 each with the same house arrest and electronic monitoring conditions when they launched.

This is how the researchers built their case

Online judicial records give an idea of ​​how investigators charged suspects based on video and witness statements.

Stiles and Stumpf are accused of deliberately burning the recreation courtyard in 801 E. Pete Rose Way “under a high interest step, creating a substantial risk of serious physical damage to previous motorists,” wrote the investigators of the fire department of Cincinnati in their criminal complaints.

Stiles’ criminal complaint indicates that motorists included a man who was driving a 2016 Freightliner crane at the time of the incident.

Stiles is no stranger to the criminal justice system.

Has a long criminal record and He turned eight years in prison After declaring himself guilty of a 2005 criminal assault position for the severe abuse of his then girlfriend, who finally died almost 14 years later.

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