Raleigh homeowner: Ex carried out threat to burn house down

Raleigh police charged Joseph Edward Campbell, 50, Thursday with assault on a female, second-degree arson and other offenses related to a house fire Wednesday on Charny Drive.

Court documents show that the homeowner, Gloria Hendrickson, filed for a protection order against Campbell Wednesday afternoon.

In that application, Hendrickson wrote that Campbell came into the house they shared at 2118 Charny Drive at about 4 a.m., grabbed her and shook her, leaving visible bruises.

"He's threatening like he's going to do this to me and do that to me, and I'm scared," she told a 911 operator.

Hendrickson said Campbell  threatened to burn the house down.

"I can't take it. I'm scared. I'm nervous," she said.

When police arrived, Campbell left the house, but he returned around 9 a.m.

Campbell is also charged with communicating threats and interfering with emergency communications.

Hendrickson wrote that she had asked Campbell to move out of the house.

"Mr. Campbell grabbed my arm on the stairs," she wrote. "He told me if I leave him, he would burn down my house. He did today around 9:45 a.m."

Firefighters were called to the home, off New Hope Road, at about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. They had to cut a hole in the roof to fight the fire, but no one was injured.

Campbell was arrested just after noon on Thursday and was being held under $40,000 bond. The protective order bans him from returning to the house or being within 200 yards of Hendrickson.

Police took possession of his Ford pickup and his phone to search for evidence linked to the fire. In an application for a search warrant, Det. J.A. DeHaan wrote, "I have learned suspects will take photos or have evidence of the crime they committed on digital media which will include cell phone."