A man who used to rent a home and had recently moved out because he was behind in his payments is accused of breaking into the home and setting a fire. Mountain View police arrested 73-year-old Marvin Dewayne Wright Monday afternoon shortly after the incident occurred.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the owners of the house told officers Wright had refused to return the keys, so they changed out all of the locks to the residence. The owners were called Monday and told someone had been in the house. When they arrived, Wright was sitting across the street and told them “I know how to shimmy a lock.” The owners said Wright had been threatening them since he moved out.
When one of the property owners went into the house, he smelled smoke. The first officer on scene called the fire department and went in to find a mattress on fire in the back of the house. He used two fire extinguishers and a garden hose, but was unable to put the fire out. The Mountain View Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and extinguished the fire.
Investigators found a roll of burnt paper under the mattress where the fire started.
Multiple witnesses in the neighborhood reported seeing Wright enter and exit the house prior to the home owners and officers arriving.
Damage to the residence is estimated in excess of $15,000.
Wright is facing felony charges of arson and breaking or entering and a misdemeanor charge of assault in the third degree. He is being held in the Stone County Jail with bonds totaling $100,000.
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