Carson City Sheriff's Office makes arson arrest in brush fire near North Carson RV dealership
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 06/06/2022 - 9:30am
A 43-year-old man was arrested Sunday for suspicion of third degree arson following a brush fire in a field near a North Carson Street RV dealership, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report.
Lucas Chase, listed as a transient, was also booked for two outstanding misdemeanor warrants issued out of Carson City Justice Court.
According to the booking report, deputies responded with Carson City firefighters Sunday afternoon to an active brush fire in a field located in the 4500 block of North Carson Street, near Medical Parkway and the RV dealership.
The fire was extinguished by Carson City Fire Department. No structures burned but a fence was damaged, according to a CCFD battalion chief.
A deputy who was doing traffic control was approached by a reporting party who said they knew who started the fire, saying it was a transient man with a dog had come into a nearby gas station asking for a fire extinguisher. The reporting party said the man told them he started the fire. The RP directed the deputy where the person was, according to the report.
The deputy made contact with the suspect, who was known to law enforcement, who stated there were a bunch of stolen credit cards and dead bodies where the fire had started. He denied starting the fire but admitted to being near it. The man consented to a search of a backpack where the deputy found "strike anywhere" style matches, a small pack of box strike matches and a Zippo lighter. There were also two knives in his backpack and two knives on his person, the report states.
Another reporting party flagged down the deputy during the search of the backpack and stated they saw the suspect in the field while the fire was burning, yelling about needing a fire extinguisher. In video the deputy observed large flames and the suspect standing within feet of the fire, the report states.
The deputy responded to the scene to the fire and met with the Carson City Fire arson investor who advised they found a duffle bag within feet from where the fire had burned and showed the deputy the bag, which included mail and a birth certificate belonging to the suspect.
Also found was a slingshot, lighter fluid and additional lighters taped together with duct tape inside and near the bag. While searching the area, the fire investigator found several burnt balls of duct tape. The deputy learned arsonists have been known to shoot incendiary devices (such as duct tape balls with lighter fluid) into brush to start fires, the report states.
The deputy also located a burnt hatchet under some burnt sage brush. He collected the lighter fluid, duct tape, lighters, slingshot and hatchet as evidence as well a a container the sling shot came in when purchased. The slingshot was found within feet of the duffle bag and the container was found inside the duffle bag, the report states.
The suspect was booked for suspicion of felony third degree arson and the two warrants for his arrest. Bail: $9,000.
All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.
