Stanley Ford last week could have seen the night sky glow orange from his Hillcrest Street home as a fast-moving fire around the corner on Fultz Street killed a mother, father and five children.
Last year, another deadly fire on Fultz Street was even closer to Ford’s house. He could have watched the flames that killed two of his neighbors from his windows.
On Tuesday, investigators charged Ford, 58, with arson and seven counts of murder in connection with the May 15 blaze.
They declined to say whether Ford is a suspect in the unsolved 2016 arson, too.
It’s unclear what led investigators to Ford.
The family of those who died in the fire said they didn’t know Ford. And investigators Tuesday declined to speculate about a possible motive.
But the charges against Ford came four days after investigators executed a search warrant at his house and another nearby. Investigators carried away bags filled with items from the properties.
At the time of the searches, Ford told a Cleveland television station he had nothing to do with the fire that killed Dennis Huggins, 35, and Angela Boggs, 38, and their five children: Cameron Huggins, 1, Alivia Huggins, 3, Kyle Huggins, 5, Daisia Huggins, 6, and Jared Boggs, 14.
During a brief interview with WOIO (Channel 19), Ford said police were wrongly trying to connect him to the blaze. Before he could explain, someone tugged on Ford’s arm and Ford walked away.
Investigators planned to interview Ford on Tuesday afternoon. He’s expected to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Akron Municipal Court.
Investigators said Tuesday their probe of the deadly fire is in its early stages, but publicly cleared Patrick Boggs — the estranged husband of Angela Boggs — saying he was no longer a suspect in the case.
Patrick Boggs was arrested on an unrelated parole violation in Portage County hours after the fire. He spent about 12 years in prison for dowsing Angela Boggs in kerosene and taunting her with a lit match.
Angela, friends said, never sought a divorce because she feared it could restart trouble between her and Patrick. But in recent months, she apparently changed her mind and was considering legal options, family confirm.
On Tuesday, about 30 members of the Huggins family gathered in a park outside the Summit County Courthouse following Ford’s arrest.
Tony Huggins — Dennis Huggins’ oldest brother and the family patriarch — expressed the family’s gratitude to Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, investigators and the community, both for their work and their prayers.
He declined to speculate on Ford, other than to say the family did not know him. But Huggins, who is also a pastor, also reached into the book of Galatians in the Bible to express his view.
“I believe that whatever a man soweth, he shall reap,” he said.
Tony wore a black baseball hat with #HugginsStrong stitched in gold.
The extended Huggins family are devoted football fans and Dennis and his three brothers spent a lifetime cheering on four different teams. They chose the colors of the hat, he said, to honor Dennis’ love of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But the hashtag, Tony said, honors all of those who died and members of the Boggs and Huggins families who survived.
“This is not going to break our family,” he said. “This is the start of closure, but we have a long road ahead.”
Amanda Garrett can be reached at 330-996-3725 or agarrett@thebeaconjournal.com.