Sheriff's Office charges Hillsborough man in Coleman Loop Road fire and break-ins at his residence

The Orange County Sheriff's Office announced charges against a Hillsborough man accused of both starting a recent fire at a small shopping complex and a series of break-ins at his home.

A release from the office says James Pickens Jr., 49, was charged Tuesday in connection with a fire at 1515 Coleman Loop Road that started late Saturday evening. This comes after Pickens was previously arrested, charged and released in a series of break-ins the same evening north of Hillsborough, along Boogaboo Trail and River Run Lane.

On Saturday night, a witness reported to investigators that he saw a person walking away from a moving vehicle left on the road and heard gunshots shortly after losing sight of the person. When sheriff's deputies arrived, they found the vehicle still running and the driver's door left open. A search of the area led them to discover a residence burglarized, before deputies reported hearing another gunshot and found another residence burglarized.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said officers then used advanced search tactics to comb the area and locate Pickens, who was then taken into custody. At the time, he was charged with two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of felony theft after breaking and entering, armed to terrorize the people, and other misdemeanor charges. According to the release, Pickens left the detention center Monday evening after making bond.

Investigators, however, charged Pickens Tuesday with additional crimes after finding evidence, according to the sheriff's office, linking him to the fire on Coleman Loop Road, which is a complex sometimes called the Major Business System building. Orange Rural Fire Brigade said they arrived at the address at around 11.22pm on Saturday and found “heavy flames” on the roof of the building and heavy smoke inside. The fire took several days to stop – with the Orange Rural Fire Department saying Monday that crews were still on scene to stop ongoing hot spots and smoldering material around the roof. In Monday's update, firefighters said it appears the fire was “not an accidental fire.”

Based on their evidence, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said they charged Pickens with breaking and entering, theft after breaking and entering and burning a commercial structure. Due to his new charges, the Pretrial Integrity Act requires Pickens to be held at the detention center for up to 48 hours without bail.

Tuesday's release from the sheriff's office said Pickens' next court date is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Photo via Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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