Police: Mother feared son set synagogue fire after hateful rants
By Kaitlin Knapp
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PUNTA GORDA, Florida (WFTX) — A new police report is revealing more details about the arson and hate crime investigation connected to the synagogue attack. According to the suspect’s mother, she told detectives Blake Hoover “has a hatred toward homosexuals and Jewish people that’s become worse over the past years.”
The report said Blake’s mother was watching the news on Sept. 20 about the arson at Chabad of Charlotte County. Details revealed in the news segment led Hoover’s mother to believe her son was responsible based on his previous threats and anti-Semitic statements, the probable cause affidavit said.
Investigators said they discovered evidence of accelerant on the inside and outside walls of the classroom in addition to a broken screen and window at the scene on Sept. 19.
Family members report suspicious behavior On Sept. 22, police got a call from a woman saying her sister had contacted her after seeing the news coverage of the fire. The caller said her sister believed her son, Blake Hoover, was the arsonist.
The sister reported seeing Hoover leave and return to the house with cans of black spray paint the night of the blaze. She also told police that Blake’s mother said he “rants that he hates Jewish people among other people.”
The caller told her sister to contact police, but called herself as a precaution in case Blake’s mother did not report the information.
Mother expresses concerns to deputies On Sept. 22, deputies said they had originally responded to the home for an unrelated hit-and-run investigation. When they arrived to discuss the arson case, Hoover’s mother expressed concerns that her son was responsible.
The mother reported that Blake “has a hatred toward homosexuals and Jewish people that’s become worse over the past years.”
A few days before the fire, the report said Blake asked his mother if she was aware that the old library was now a Jewish school and museum and said he was going to burn it down.
Night of the fire On the night of the fire, the report said Blake told his mother he was going out. She said she noticed a gas can missing from the garage after he left.
The mother called him and begged him not to burn anything down. She said he was barefoot when he came home, holding a spray can, and went to bed.
When she checked the garage, documents said Blake’s mother found the gas can had been returned but was empty. When questioned the next morning, Blake said he “just sprayed the letter J, not a big deal.”
The mother said Blake always refers to Jewish people as “Js.”
“I felt in my gut that my son did it,” she told investigators.
After seeing details on the news, she became more convinced Blake was responsible because she had seen him leave the house with a can of spray paint. When she asked what it was for, the report said Blake didn’t answer her.
Mother’s investigation Concerned about her son’s involvement, the mother said she drove to the Jewish center on Henry Street to look for his car and check for anything suspicious the night of the fire. She said it was dark and she didn’t see his car.
License plate reader data showed Blake’s car traveling west on Mariona Avenue at Marlympia Way on Sept. 19 at 10:19 p.m., the report said.
He was arrested for arson and criminal mischief.
Blake Hoover had a first appearance on Sept. 23. A judge scheduled a pre-trial detention hearing, but at this time, Hoover is being held without bond for the arson charge. His bond for the criminal mischief is $25,000.
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