Man breaks up fight, then his house burns down; police investigate possible arson

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Police in Largo are investigating an overnight mobile home fire as a case of arson.

Friday, Joanna Reinoehl covered her mouth with a mask while she was hunting for her dad’s most meaningful possessions -- jewelry -- that belonged to his late wife of 30 years.

“There it is,” she said after finding a necklace spared by the fire.

She says all of the destruction wasn’t a mistake. Reinoehl says someone purposely burned the home of her father, Richard Griffin, to the ground overnight. 

“I’m in shock and I’m going from being really mad to getting really upset,” Reinoehl said.

Last night, Reinoehl says, her dad broke up a fight between a man and woman on the street near his house. Griffin left his house, taking some time to cool down. While he was gone and within a couple of hours, the fire was raging.

“He did not deserve that. He was a good Samaritan. I feel he got targeted," Reinoehl said.

“It’s a tragedy and it’s so unfair,” said neighbor Laurie Noe.

Noe says Griffin is like a rock in the Blue Skies Mobile Home Park.

“There's no one here that he hasn’t touched their life in some way and helped them when they most needed it,” Noe said. “No one in their right mind would target someone like Richard."

Griffin and his family are working to find him a new place to live and fundraising to replace his things. Reinoehl said her father is still very shaken up about the incident.

Police haven’t released information about a possible suspect, but the family hopes cameras of Griffin's may have caught the suspect in the act.