BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge Fire investigators said they arrested a man who they believe may have paid another person to light a car on fire.

According to BRFD, crews responded to a vehicle that caught fire on Feb. 3 around 2:51 a.m. After speaking to the owner of the car, investigators determined the fire was arson.

Investigators said that they obtained footage showing a man exiting a nearby car, approaching a woman's car and breaking a window before setting it on fire. 

Deputies said Taddius Cole, 49, was identified as a suspect connected to this fire, as well as his involvement in previous fire-related incidents. Cole was likely not the person seen in the video, BRFD said.

Two incidents involving the woman's car in 2023 and 2024 were eventually ruled arson, fire investigators said. 

An affidavit says that the car's owner told authorities that Cole had previously set fire to another woman's car when he was upset at her in 2018. 

Investigators believe that Cole paid someone to light the woman's car on fire.

Baker Police were asked to assist in the investigation, and Cole was arrested on criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated arson charges on Wednesday.