Hilarious Wannabe-Reporter Sets Out To ‘Investigate’ A House Fire, Actually Solves An Arson Case On FB Live
What’s important is your drive, energy, and passion, not your knowledge, skills or professionalism. That appears to be the motto that wannabe news reporter Rhoda Young lives by.
Rhoda became known far and wide on the internet for pretending to be a live news reporter on Facebook. In just under an hour, the hilarious woman solved a crime scene and got the perpetrator arrested by police officers. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s incredible: efficient, sassy and with an eye for details, Rhoda is what every investigative journalism reporter should aspire to be.
More info: Facebook
“Volunteer” reporter Rhoda Young live-streamed a house fire in Norfolk, Virginia, back in 2017
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
In the era of fake news and a lack of trust in the media, what the world needs now more than ever is people who are brave enough to shine some light on the truth. And that’s exactly what Rhoda aspired to do with just a smartphone camera and a knack for imitating real journalists (albeit in a funny manner), when she saw a house on fire in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2017.
Image credits: STATter911
The dramatic and sassy wannabe-journalist approached the house owner to ask him some questions
Image credits: STATter911
The woman had a penchant for dramatic reporting, opinionated comments and she refused to give up after receiving odd looks from some onlookers. In her live video, which in total lasted about 54 minutes, Rhoda can be heard dropping such legendary phrases as “this house fire is in full active duty right now”, refers to herself as a “volunteer” reporter and calls the flaming house a “bi***.”
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
But what’s most impressive is that Rhoda’s crime investigation went as quickly as those on TV shows. She spotted the owner of the burning house, Donald William Stricker III, sitting nearby and drinking beer, and started talking to him. Rhoda addressed her Facebook audience by saying that he doesn’t know “how his house caught on fire.”
Rhoda noticed his hair and pants were burnt, which she thought was suspicious, and she started wondering who may have been to blame for the fire
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
However, Rhoda’s spider-sense then started tingling. She thought something was off. The reporter drew attention to the fact that Donald’s hair and pants were damaged by the fire, and his face was burnt. She raised the theory that he may have been responsible for the incident. Donald wasn’t very willing to talk to her, because Rhoda was being a tad irritating and screaming accusations into his ear. When Donald tried to push her smartphone away, Rhoda replied with “don’t hit me baby, ‘cause I’ll fight back.”
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
Image credits: STATter911
The reporter’s suspicions were confirmed when police officers arrived to arrest the house owner
Image credits: STATter911
Later on, Rhoda heard from one of the neighbors that the man confessed to them that he started the fire. The reporter kept telling everyone about her theory that Donald’s to blame until police officers arrived to arrest him. Rhoda ended her stream by stating that she “did the best job” she could do. Donald later confessed in court that he did indeed start the fire. He lived in the house with his wife and three kids.
Image credits: STATter911
In 2017, there were a total of 36,600 arson offenses in the United States, according to Statista. Also, a report released by the US Fire Administration back in December 2001 notes that arson is “the leading cause of fires” and that “half of all arson arrests are juveniles”. It’s also written in the document that arson causes damage equal to 1.4 billion dollars in property loss. Taking into account the number of arson incidents in the US, it’s a wonderful thing we have people like Rhoda who help raise awareness and aid in catching the perps.
You can see excerpts from Rhoda’s awesome stream below
People loved Rhoda’s video
Not going to lie it's kind of funny in a Family Guy sort of way but if this was my house that was burning she would really be pissing me off, it's really insensitive.
I agree...who does that? You see a burning house and you go to the owner and shove your camera in their face and play make believe reporter? wow...I can't imagine the gall
Tbh I would've broken her phone for filming me in such a situation.
That actually happened to me. I woke up to my house on fire. I lost my pets and had to jump out the 2nd story window. If some rando, wannabe reporter started getting in my face while I was sitting on the curb in shock, I would have lost my damned mind. It was the worst night of my life and I still have nightmares about it, plus PTSD. If this man happened to be innocent, badgering him while he was in shock was an asshole thing to do. If that was me, I would have gone to great lengths to make sure she never did anything like that to anyone again. She's very lucky he was actually guilty.
@Id row But I doubt you would have lied about where you were before you discovered your house was on fire. Everyone missed the the beginning of the conversations she had with him where he clearly states that he had just come home from the store to discover the house on fire. He'd been sitting on the lawn of the neighbors house drinking beer ever since. So why was he burnt in areas?
"His hair burned, so is really close to the fire". what the absolute fucker. Who started the fire or not, he's burned. That women so bitchy and cringeyy
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Especially if you started it!
That’s not the point
I find this kind of disturbing. So, she guessed that he started the fire. Unless I missed something, it doesn't say anything about him not being in the house after the fire started. So, she lucked out. Had she gone to the home of an innocent victim, asking questions while their home was burning, then threatened to hit them, would THAT be funny?
Indeed, may have been trying to save family albums.
And actually accusing the guy LIVE on facebook, that could be very dangerous. She got really lucky. But if that was my house burning, I'd shove that lady's phone where sun don't shine
Totally rigth!
Watch the beginning of the video when she interviews him...He clearly says he came home from the store with his beer to find the house in flames. And he's been sitting there drinking his beer watching his house burn. And if you didn't bother to read the rest of the story..little man confessed that he did set the fire!
But why did he do it?
Argument over curtains? Knew upcoming IKEA trip would lead to usual fight and now inevitable divorce? OK I may be projecting from my own life.
get some cash from insurance?
Not going to lie it's kind of funny in a Family Guy sort of way but if this was my house that was burning she would really be pissing me off, it's really insensitive.
I agree...who does that? You see a burning house and you go to the owner and shove your camera in their face and play make believe reporter? wow...I can't imagine the gall
Tbh I would've broken her phone for filming me in such a situation.
That actually happened to me. I woke up to my house on fire. I lost my pets and had to jump out the 2nd story window. If some rando, wannabe reporter started getting in my face while I was sitting on the curb in shock, I would have lost my damned mind. It was the worst night of my life and I still have nightmares about it, plus PTSD. If this man happened to be innocent, badgering him while he was in shock was an asshole thing to do. If that was me, I would have gone to great lengths to make sure she never did anything like that to anyone again. She's very lucky he was actually guilty.
@Id row But I doubt you would have lied about where you were before you discovered your house was on fire. Everyone missed the the beginning of the conversations she had with him where he clearly states that he had just come home from the store to discover the house on fire. He'd been sitting on the lawn of the neighbors house drinking beer ever since. So why was he burnt in areas?
"His hair burned, so is really close to the fire". what the absolute fucker. Who started the fire or not, he's burned. That women so bitchy and cringeyy
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Especially if you started it!
That’s not the point
I find this kind of disturbing. So, she guessed that he started the fire. Unless I missed something, it doesn't say anything about him not being in the house after the fire started. So, she lucked out. Had she gone to the home of an innocent victim, asking questions while their home was burning, then threatened to hit them, would THAT be funny?
Indeed, may have been trying to save family albums.
And actually accusing the guy LIVE on facebook, that could be very dangerous. She got really lucky. But if that was my house burning, I'd shove that lady's phone where sun don't shine
Totally rigth!
Watch the beginning of the video when she interviews him...He clearly says he came home from the store with his beer to find the house in flames. And he's been sitting there drinking his beer watching his house burn. And if you didn't bother to read the rest of the story..little man confessed that he did set the fire!
But why did he do it?
Argument over curtains? Knew upcoming IKEA trip would lead to usual fight and now inevitable divorce? OK I may be projecting from my own life.
get some cash from insurance?