Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CEDAR CITY — A man was arrested after allegedly setting three fires and attempting to burglarize several homes Wednesday.
Andrew Michael Russell, 29, was arrested after the string of crimes occurred in Cedar City, according to the Cedar City Police Department. Investigators said they believe a fire at the Cedar Post Pawn Shop was "the beginning of a crime spree."
Police responded to the pawn shop fire around 8:45 a.m. and credited a local refuse collector with noticing the fire and putting it out before more damage was done. About 20 minutes later, police said they were notified of a second fire at the Cedar City Cemetery maintenance building.
"Multiple witnesses placed a suspect matching Andrew Russell's description at or very nearby each of the fire scenes during the time the fires were reported," a post on the Cedar City Police Department's Facebook page reads. "Witnesses also placed Russell in or near two separate stolen vehicles in the area of the fires."
One of the vehicles was stolen from a business next to the pawn shop, according to police. They said they believe Russell went to a neighborhood several blocks from the cemetery, near the 300 West block of 900 North, after stealing a second car from a government building close to the cemetery.
The crime spree continued as Russell was seen attempting to get into other vehicles and homes in the neighborhood.
–Cedar City police
Soon after, a woman reported seeing a strange vehicle in her driveway and smoke coming from a fire behind her home. Police said this time the fire didn't cause much damage because it was set in a metal bucket, but investigators discovered the woman's home had been burglarized.
"The crime spree continued as Russell was seen attempting to get into other vehicles and homes in the neighborhood," the post reads. "As officers combed the area, a CCPD officer discovered Russell exiting the backyard of a residence near where the third fire was reported... It was later found that the home where Russell was captured had also been burglarized."
Investigators said Russell was taken into custody without incident but later "attempted to kick one of the arresting officers" and "attempted to assault medical personnel examining him for a medical clearance." He was booked into the Iron County Jail on suspicion of aggravated arson, theft of an automobile, burglary of a residence, assault by a prisoner and assault against a health care provider.
The fires are estimated to have caused several thousand dollars in damage to the Cedar City Cemetery building and less than $1,000 worth of damage to the pawn shop, according to police.
