Kingsley Man Charged with Arson After Paradise Township Home Fire

A Kingsley man was charged with second-degree arson after surveillance video recorded him throwing objects at a Paradise Township home in the early morning hours of March 19, shattering a front window and scorching the siding before Grand Traverse County deputies tracked him down and arrested him the same day.

Deputies were called to the residence around 6:30 a.m. after a 30-year-old man reported a broken front window and charring on the siding. The homeowner's surveillance system had captured the sequence in detail: an object thrown near the window, followed by a flash, then a second object that shattered the glass. There was no significant fire damage reported, though WPBN described the incident as "damaging the property and sparking a fire."

Using the surveillance footage and a prior domestic connection, investigators identified Dre Michael Raymer, 31, of Kingsley as the suspect. He was located, interviewed, and arrested later that same day on the second-degree arson charge. Raymer was arraigned Monday, March 23.

The case underscores how quickly residential surveillance technology can shift the trajectory of a criminal investigation: from a pre-dawn call about a broken window and charred siding to a same-day arrest and arraignment within four days. No details about Raymer's bond conditions, attorney, or next court date have been released. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office and the county prosecutor's office have not issued public statements on the case.