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Former student charged with arson By Ram Luthra A former TCU student and another individual have been charged for arson in connection with the fire at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Tau Delta fraternity house, according to a Fort Worth police report. Vernon Rowe III, 21, and Matthew Taylor, 19, are suspects in connection with an Aug. 11 fire at the Martin-Moore Residence Hall on 3504 Pond Drive on the TCU campus. Although both Rowe and Taylor were charged and posted $5,000 bail, as of Wednesday, the district attorney’s office has not accepted the case yet. At the time of the incident, Rowe was the president of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Sigma Nu is a fraternity located off campus and is not officially recognized by TCU. No one was injured in the fire, which caused about $1,000 worth of damages, according to the police report. Rowe and Taylor were both arrested in December. Investigation of the arson was prolonged because of lack of cooperation from the suspects and witnesses, fire officials said. Sabino Vasquez, arson investigator for the Fort Worth Fire Department, said the investigation was hampered because the suspect is a member of a close-knit fraternity. “This case was harder because of the nature of fraternities,” Vasquez said. “All the people involved showed a great amount of loyalty and camaraderie to each other, which made it harder on us to gather facts.” Mark Lane, Rowe’s attorney, said the investigation was performed in a haphazard manner and questions the tactics used by the TCU law enforcement authorities. “The investigation has not been performed in a professional and thorough manner,” Lane said. Fire officials said a fight that took place at a bar and continued to a gas station near the TCU campus prior to the fire was the main catalyst for the blaze of the fraternity house. Officials at the scene found tire tread marks on the lawn by the building. Fire officials and police authorities confirm that the tracks are from a truck that had been intentionally driven over the lawn. The fire started when a combustible liquid engulfed the porch of the building and was later sparked with matches, fire officials said. The police report cited that a large rock was thrown through a glass doorway. “The suspect’s intention was to set the whole building on fire,” Vasquez said. Rowe refused to comment on the incident but said the charges on him are illegitimate. He forwarded all further questions to his attorney. Lane said his client is not responsible for igniting the fire. He said Rowe is innocent and will fight the charges. “We have been investigating the incident and taking many witnesses’ statements,” Lane said. “All the statements indicate that (Rowe) did not have any criminal culpability in regards to the crime he has been charged with.” Lane said he is confident of Rowe’s innocence. “(Rowe) will be happy to take a polygraph exam and answer any questions regarding the charges made on him,” Lane said. Rowe, who was registered for classes in the fall, is not currently registered for any courses in the spring semester, according to the Registrar’s office. Taylor, the other suspect, faces charges of arson on the Martin-Moore building and an automobile. Taylor has been charged by the district attorney’s office for setting fire to a 1995 Pontiac Firebird the same night. The car was parked on 3202 Cockrell Ave. The automobile belonged to Michael Farris. Farris said he did not know why anyone would set his car on fire. Farris, a sophomore premajor, said his car was totaled. About $10,000 worth of damages were estimated, according to the police report. Ram Luthra |