NORTH VERNON — Jennings County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two teenagers on felony arson charges after firefighters were sent to a mobile home fire in Country Squire Lakes.
The fire was reported at 10:22 a.m. Wednesday and witnesses told deputies they saw a silver Jeep Liberty speeding away from the scene.
Deputy Drew Heilers saw the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the Jeep took off at a high rate of speed. After a short vehicle pursuit, the vehicle ran off the roadway and crashed and the occupants fled on foot, deputies said.
Deputies took a female passenger, Delaney Smith, 18, North Vernon, into custody, deputies said. North Vernon police officers, who were assisting, took the driver, Mike Hardesty, 19, North Vernon, into custody, deputies said.
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A small fire under the mobile home extinguished itself after the fire burned into water lines under the mobile home, deputies said. Neighbors who witnessed the fire were able to contact a mother and small child in the mobile home, who then evacuated.
Jennings County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy David Turner said an investigation is continuing and detectives are looking for a motive in the case.
The Indiana State Fire Marshal is assisting with the investigation.
Hardesty was arrested on preliminary charges of felony arson, felony resisting law enforcement, misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and felony possession of methamphetamine, deputies said. He was being held in the Jennings County Jail in lieu of $25,500 bond, jail officials said.
Smith was arrested on preliminary charges of felony arson, misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and felony obstruction of justice, deputies said. She is being held in the Jennings County Jail in lieu of $25,500 bond, jail officials said.
Also assisting at the scene was the Geneva Township Fire Rescue.
