SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 10, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A man has been charged with arson after he was seen climbing out the basement window of a burning home.
Marcus Richards, 39, faces the following charges in the Saturday afternoon fire:
- Aggravated arson, a first-degree felony
- Failure to stop at command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
- Possession or use of a controlled substances, a class B misdemeanor
The Salt Lake City Fire Department responded to the report of a fire in a house on Ashton Avenue, Richards’ probable cause statement says.
“Upon arrival, crews observed smoke coming from the basement. While firefighters were engaged in fighting the fire, AP (arrested party) was observed by multiple firefighters exiting a basement window and leaving the scene. AP was told by the incident commander to stay on scene.
“AP then spontaneously uttered the words ‘I lit a few sticks on fire.’ Fire crews found a small fire in the basement that resulted in damage to the structure. AP fled and was located by Salt Lake City Police officers a few blocks from the fire scene. AP was given multiple commands by police officers.”
The suspect resisted being taken into SLCPD custody, the statement says.
“A search incident to arrest yielded a syringe containing a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.”
The arresting officer asked Richards be held without bail because he is homeless and likely to flee the jurisdiction if released, and “would constitute a substantial danger to another individual or the community.” A judge ordered Richards to be held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail.
