The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office has indicted William Calderwood on 72 counts of aggravated arson, and one count of burglary.
Calderwood lived next door to the house at 2022 W. 83rd Street in Cleveland, which exploded on January 25.
Calderwood, 57, is accused of burglarizing the house, breaking off the lock-box of the house, stealing the key, and changing the locks.
The indictment says he stole a washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove, hot water heater, kitchen cabinets, bedroom set, file cabinets, metal chairs, and pipes, then tampered with the gas line in the basement of this house. As a result, the house was destroyed in an explosion and it caused damage to 71 other houses in the area. Four people were injured.
Several houses were damaged beyond repair, including Calderwood's, who had a previous arrest record in Michigan, also on arson charges.
The January explosion gave new urgency to a city ordinance that would require property owners to guarantee all utilities are shut off as soon as any home is vacated.
