Arson arrest made in house explosion that injured 4

    CINCINNATI (WLWT) -- An arrest has been made in connection with the gas explosion in East Price Hill that injured four people.

Shawn Kidder, 64, has been charged with five counts of aggravated arson to a person and one count of aggravated arson to a property.

“While fires like these are always a tragic loss, the CFD FIU continues to do an outstanding job bringing justice to those who negatively impact our community,” Fire Chief Frank McKinley said.

According to public records, Kidder resided at the building. Court records show Kidder was given notice to evict in February.

It all unfolded on March 9 around 8:15 p.m., when several 911 calls came in reporting a fire and sound of an explosion.

Crews arriving on scene found the multi-family home had heavy fire with one of the walls completely collapsed.

Court documents said Kidder allegedly tampered with the natural gas line connected to the kitchen, releasing enough gas into the building to cause a fire and explosion.

Investigators said Kidder admitted to detectives that he did so intentionally and knew people were inside.

Four people were taken to the hospital, including a man who was found lying in the front yard and two children.

Heavy fire could be seen coming from the two-story single family home after the explosion. A nearby vacant building also sustained damage in the blast.

A neighbor who lives a few doors away says she heard one unexpectedly loud noise, followed by a sound that was even more intense.

There were no smoke detectors in the home. Damage is estimated to be around $300,000.

CFD says the fire was "knowingly lit natural gas."

CFD says the explosion and fire displaced a total of six people and, ultimately, the building was demolished due to its lack of structural stability.