Bath homeowner charged with arson

A Bath man has been jailed for arson on allegations he set fire to his home in mid-April with the intent of collecting insurance money, according to investigators.

Clyde James Hendley II, 31, of the 100 block of Front Street, is charged with second-degree arson.

Aiken County Sheriff's Office investigators said the man has filed a claim with his insurance company, which will conduct a separate fraud investigation. The criminal investigation was conducted by Sheriff's Office investigators with the assistance of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agents.

"We believe he tried to burn his house down by setting his couch on fire," said Clay Adams, Sheriff's Office arson investigator.

The Bath Fire Department chief was unable to determine the cause of the fire during his preliminary investigations and contacted local investigators.

The chief said he contacted Hendley minutes after the fire started, but the owner never returned to the residence. A neighbor told investigators she saw Hendley leave the house shortly before the deputy arrived.

Bath firefighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly before the single-story wood frame home was destroyed, Adams said.

"Due to their fast response, evidence that we needed to conduct our investigation was saved," he added.

Once firefighters ruled out the possibility of the fire being accidental, investigators reported finding that a couch in the home was intentionally set on fire.

SLED assisted local investigators with an accelerant-sniffing K-9, but officials said it was unlikely that accelerant was used.

No one was in the residence when the fire was set.

Hendley surrendered to Aiken County Sheriff's Office deputies Wednesday. He is awaiting trial for a charge of receiving stolen goods; however, investigators did not report finding stolen items in the home.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.