JENNINGS COUNTY — A Commiskey man and two juveniles have been arrested for arson after a string of residential fires were recently reported in Jennings County.
Hunter Spicer, 18, Commiskey, was taken into custody on preliminary charges of arson, burglary, criminal mischief, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia on Tuesday by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department following a traffic stop. As of Wednesday at 11 a.m. Spicer was being held at the Jennings County Jail on $5,055 bond, jail staff said.
Two male juveniles, who were in the car with Spicer, were also charged with arson, but were taken to a juvenile detention facility, deputies said.
Deputies responded to three suspected arsons from May 21 to 24 in the Lovett Township area, with the latest happening around midnight on May 24.
Jennings County Sheriff Kenny Freeman said that all three fires were within a mile of each other, and that nobody was believed to have been living in the homes at the time of the fires, although there were items lost by those owning the properties. Freeman said that all three homes were completely destroyed.
Deputies said that evidence gathered at the scene — including an ID belonging to Spicer — led to a vehicle description as well as a possible suspect(s), and after a few hours, the vehicle was located and a traffic stop was conducted for an unrelated traffic infraction.
During the course of the traffic stop, marijuana and paraphernalia was located inside the vehicle, deputies said. Further investigation, which included locating a bottle of lighter fluid inside the vehicle, led to a probable cause to charge Spicer, the driver, along with the two passengers, with arson.
Freeman said that the Indiana State Fire Marshal will be on the scene collecting additional evidence and documenting fire patterns.
