Richard Crosby

Name:
Crosby, Richard Gary

Date of Booking:
10/08/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
Arson, Second Degree, Industrial Business

Burglary 2nd, No Forced Entry, Nonresidence

Criminal Damage To Property, Public, 2nd Degree

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On 10/08/2025, at approximately 2012 hours, I, Officer Sosa, received a phone call regarding a case follow-up to case number 25-005510. Upon answering, I spoke with [VICTIM #1], who stated that a commercial building owned by his family, located at [REDACTED BY AGENCY] had been set on fire.

Mr. [VICTIM #1] explained that after speaking with me earlier in reference to the prior case, he was driving home when he passed by the property at [REDACTED BY AGENCY] as he drove by, he noticed that the front door to the building was open and it appeared that flames were coming from inside. Mr. [VICTIM #1] stated that he immediately turned around to investigate.

Upon confirming that there was an active fire inside the building, Mr. [VICTIM #1] quickly retrieved a fire extinguisher located next to the front door and began extinguishing the flames. He stated that after the first extinguisher was emptied, he obtained a second extinguisher, and continued until the fire was completely out.

Once the fire was extinguished, Mr. [VICTIM #1] contacted the business manager, [WITNESS #1], to inform him of the situation. After notifying the manager, he then contacted me to report the incident.

During our conversation, Mr. [VICTIM #1] stated that he had reviewed security camera footage from the building and observed a male subject identified as Richard Crosby, a former employee whom he had terminated earlier that same day. The footage showed Crosby entering the building and using some type of accelerant to start the fire. Mr. [VICTIM #1] confirmed that this was the same individual previously reported to me under case number 25-005510.

I advised Mr. [VICTIM #1] that I would notify the fire department to respond to the scene to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and to conduct a cause and origin assessment.

While en route to the location, I contacted the shift supervisor to inform them of the situation, and the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) was also notified and dispatched to the scene.

Upon my arrival, the fire department was already on scene conducting safety assessments. I secured the immediate area and established a perimeter to preserve potential evidence. A secondary officer arrived shortly thereafter to assist with clearing the building and surrounding area.

Once the scene was secure, I made contact with [WITNESS #1], identified as the company manager. Mr. [WITNESS #1] provided me with access to the building’s security video footage, which depicted the suspect, identified as Richard Crosby, entering the structure by force, appearing to pour or spray an unknown liquid substance, and then igniting the fire.

The video footage was documented and turned over to CID for evidence collection and further review.

A short time later, CID investigators arrived on scene and assumed control of the investigation. The scene was officially turned over to CID and the fire department for further follow-up and analysis.

No injuries were reported. The structure sustained fire damage primarily to the warehouse front entryway and adjoining area.

[End of Narrative]