BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — A 34-year-old man accused of intentionally setting small fires in Big Cottonwood Canyon has been charged.
Garret Jay Boyd, who is believed to be homeless, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with arson, a second-degree felony, and failing to stop for police, a class A misdemeanor.
On April 14, deputies from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of "an individual intentionally setting fires in Big Cottonwood Canyon," according to charging documents. Deputies found evidence of multiple small fires that had been set and had smoldered out on their own.
"This created a substantial risk of a widespread wildfire and posed a grave danger of physical harm to first responders," prosecutors stated in their charges.
Officers from a Department of Public Safety helicopter spotted Boyd and "began issuing commands to Boyd to stop, to which he did not comply and continued climbing the mountain," the charges state, while also noting that Boyd was in steep terrain.
"DPS was able to hoist law enforcement officers onto the mountain near Boyd, and Boyd was taken into custody," according to a police booking affidavit.
When questioned, Boyd "stated he was told by his 'ancestors' and the 'spirits' to go up to Big Cottonwood Canyon. Once on the mountain, Boyd stated the land is sacred and he was going to burn wood. Boyd intentionally started 'three' fires with no means to extinguish the fires and stated he would let the fires 'burn out,'" according to the charges.
Boyd was charged in a separate case in March in 3rd District Court with assaulting an officer, a third-degree felony, and failing to stop for an officer, a class A misdemeanor, after he was found walking along I-15 and kicked one of the troopers who arrested him, charging documents state.
