On August 10, at 2:30 a.m., Jason Stokes’ Endicott home went into flames while his wife and two daughters were sleeping. Luckily, the four people were in the home (including Stokes) left without injuries. It was said that the family was being targeted by black people because of the Blue Lives Matter flag in their front yard. A message reading, “Lie with pigs, fry like bacon” was left at the home.

In a new discovery, it was revealed that Stokes was the one that caused the fire and left the message. “We knew fairly soon into the investigation that he was a suspect, but that’s not uncommon in any fire,” said Endicott Fire Chief Joseph Griswold.

Since Stokes have been employed by the Endicott Fire Department since 2005, his colleagues are not allowed to investigate the incident. Stokes has been charged with second-degree arson and faces up to 25 years if convicted.