Beach arson suspect speaks from jail

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - An arson suspect says he was in Hampton when someone set fire to a Virginia Beach home.

Tyler Bremer, 24, is being held without bond. Investigators say he set several fires on the second floor of a home in the 3200 block of Northgate Drive.

"I'm innocent, innocent as all heck," said Bremer in a video interview with WAVY.com Tuesday.

Bremer declared his innocence, but did not speculate who set fire to the home. Bremer says eyewitnesses can verify he was in Hampton when the fire started around 7 a.m. Monday morning during the time of the fire. Bremer says he found out from the homeowner, Dustin Harmon.

"I got a text from Dustin Harmon asking me if I set his house on fire, and I thought he was just messing with me," said Bremer. "I was flabbergasted."

Bremer, who was honorably discharged from the Navy last month, says he was 'couch surfing' at Harmon's home, waiting for a court date. After that, Bremer had planned to move, but never got that far.

"I was heading into the court to appeal for my DUI case, and I was just arrested," he said.

Investigators tell 10 On Your Side, Bremer gave conflicting statements and was positively identified at the scene. They say numerous fires were set on the second floor, which was doused in accelerant. Two dogs locked in crates had to be rescued from the flames.

"Of course he'll have his day in court to refute the evidence, but we're confident we have the right person," said Battalion Chief Tim Riley with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.

"I start thinking about the future, and what this is going to do to my image and the effects it could have on my career, because this is a serious thing to be accused of," said Bremer.

In a police report, Harmon also lists four guns missing.

Bremer says he is confused by the accusations and says there was never any bad blood between him and Harmon.

Fire investigators say more arrests are expected in this case.

You can call the Crime Line at 1-88-LOCK-U-UP to leave anonymous tips. They ask that the tipster assigned the number "100711" call them back as soon as possible.