Person of interest in Duchess Cleaners fire faces arson charges in other cases

CEDAR RAPIDS - The person of interest investigators have identified in connection with the arson that destroyed Duchess Cleaners on Aug. 20 faces charges connected to two other fires.

Court records show Cedar Rapids Police filed an affidavit requesting a search warrant to obtain DNA swabs from Grant M. Ajango, 22, of Cedar Rapids, who is also charged with arson in two unrelated incidents in August.

According to the affidavit, police determined the fire at the longtime dry-cleaning business at 3905 Center Point Road NE was suspicious, the document states, and an arson investigator was tapped to examine the scene.

During the investigation, the affidavit states the business owner noted surprise that a fire would start in the front of the building when 'the electrical service and flammables were in the rear of the building.”

Police said another employee at the scene reported someone had been inside the business' delivery van, which was locked when police arrived.

The employee told police the keys to the van were kept inside the building. Once the fire was extinguished and employees could enter what was left of the structure, police said the keys were nowhere to be found.

A search of the van turned up an iPad and a Mountain Dew can, according to the affidavit, and the iPad appeared to have blood on it. Both items were retained as evidence, police said.

The iPad was processed for fingerprints, and the device and the Mountain Dew can were swabbed for DNA. Ajango' fingerprints match those found on the iPad, according to the affidavit.

Ajango was previously arrested Aug. 26 on charges of burglary and arson in connection with a fire police said was intentionally set last month at 1445 First Ave. SE.

In that fire, police said a witness was able to provide a description of the suspect who was seen exiting the building. Police officers located Ajango in a nearby alley.

The affidavit in that case states a Mountain Dew can was also found at that scene and collected as evidence to be swabbed for DNA.

The affidavit in the investigation into the Duchess Cleaners fire, filed Aug. 30, requests a search warrant to collect mouth swabs from Ajango, 'so that the Iowa DCI Criminal Lab can compare the DNA of Grant Ajango to the DNA profiles extracted from the iPad and the two Mountain Dew cans.”

Court records indicate the warrant request was granted and DNA samples were collected and submitted into evidence on Sept. 4.

Ajango also faces multiple charges, including second-degree arson and third-degree burglary, in connection with a third incident that occurred Aug. 11 in which he allegedly attempted to set fire to a vehicle in the Five Seasons Parkade near the DoubleTree Hotel on First Avenue NE.

Duchess Cleaners continues to operate in its second Cedar Rapids location at 588 Boyson Road NE.

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com