Haralson County Fire Chief Brian Walker says tips from the public helped lead to the conviction of Felton resident Kenneth Claude Reddish, who stood before the Haralson County Courthouse judge Wednesday for his role in the arson of a Felton house almost three years ago.

Reddish is the second of two defendants the court ruled to have been involved in the Oct. 8, 2006, fire at the residence located on 170 Felton Rockmart Rd. Walker said the residence was under renovation at the time it was set on fire.

Walker said tips from the public led to Reddish’s arrest in March 2007, in which he later pled guilty to a charge of first-degree arson.

“Wednesday, he pled guilty without a jury trial and was sentenced 30 years to serve five, and to pay restitution of $60,000 to the owner of the property that was damaged,” he reported.

This arson case marks the sixth arrest and guilty plea without a jury trial in the county since 2007, according to Walker. He attributed this effort to county public safety personnel, along with citizens who aim to keep the community safe.

“I commend our firefighters for their quick response in service and the investigations division for saving a lot of the evidence in the house that was gathered for prosecution. We also had an anonymous caller who was very valuable that led to Reddish’s arrest, who received a money reward provided by the state Arson Control Board,” he said.

Walker encourages citizens to call the Haralson County Fire Department if they have any information about county fire-related incidents at 770-646-2036. All callers remain anonymous and could receive a reward up to $10,000 for their assistance.