Novi man charged for setting historic building on fire in Tennessee

FOX 2 (WJBK) – A Novi man set fire to a historic building in a small Tennessee town on Tuesday. 

Jeffrey Scott Cicirelli, 33, is in custody and has been charged with arson, reckless endangerment, burglary, and vandalism, according to a news release from the city. 

The beloved Parks-Belk Building went up in flames around 9 p.m. in downtown Morristown, TN. It was constructed in the early 1900s.

“It’s pretty disappointing, obviously,” said the city’s mayor, Gary Chesney. “It was a bad one, and it took a lot of fire equipment to put it out. They were able to contain it to the building.”

“Firefighters fought the blaze for more than twelve hours and one firefighter was injured,” the city release stated. “At this time, officers do not think he has any connection to the Morristown area.” 

According to investigators, Cicirelli claimed he was in the area due to his vehicle breaking down while traveling; he had been staying at a motel for several days. 

Chesney said Cicirelli sought to have his car repaired at a local auto shop, but a dispute broke out over the bill.

“Kind of told anybody who would listen that because he was treated this way, he planned to burn the town down,” Chesney added. “What attracted the law enforcement’s attention to him was he was there among the people watching the fire. And he was kind of in and out with the first responders, asking questions about the fire and kind of, I guess, admiring his work.” 

The building was previously used as a department store, but has been vacant for years, according to the mayor. A New York City investor, with relatives in the area, bought the building with plans to turn it into condos. Those plans are still in place.
 

The suspect is in custody and has been ordered to undergo a psych evaluation.