Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich announced today the indictment of a man who, for his own entertainment, threw fireworks at a man and woman experiencing homelessness.

Charles Mitchell, 22, of Fairfield, is scheduled to be arraigned today at 10 a.m. before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Katie Casch on two charges of aggravated arson, each first-degree felonies for the incident last August.

“Fortunately, the victims were not physically harmed, but there must be justice,” said Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich. “I will not tolerate acts of violence that prey on the most vulnerable people in our community.”

The incident occurred on Aug. 21, 2024, at an abandoned bank building on Colerain Avenue in Camp Washington where the victims were sheltering under the drive-through.

Mitchell, who was in a car, threw a canister-shell firework near where the man and woman were sleeping. Both were able to escape without injury.

Mitchell was arrested on Sept. 15. If convicted, he faces up to 22 years in prison. He is being held in the Hamilton County Justice Center on a $30,000 bond.