Man fleeing cops started forest fires to avoid capture, feds say. He’s going to prison

A Missouri man was sentenced to prison after he started multiple forest fires to avoid being captured by police, federal officials said.

The man, a 37-year-old from Iron County, went on a crime spree in October 2022, stealing vehicles and weapons, according to a June 28 news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.

An attorney for the man could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News.

The man reportedly stole a truck and pointed a gun at the owner on Oct. 23, at which point law enforcement began chasing him.

He later crashed the truck in the Mark Twain National Forest and lit a fire to burn the items he stole, officials said. He then fled into the woods on foot.

Law enforcement began tracking the man with dogs, but when they got close, he ignited a fire to avoid being found, officials said.

“He started a second fire when they approached him again,” officials said. “Later, he pointed the crossbow at a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer, as well as other officers, before fleeing again.”

The man was eventually apprehended near the Black River, which cuts through the forest.

The fires he started proved difficult to contain and burned more than seven acres of land, officials said.

The man pleaded guilty to arson and other charges in March, and on June 28, he was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison.

He was also ordered to pay the U.S. Forest Service around $7,200, roughly the cost of fighting the fires he lit.

The Mark Twain National Forest, located in southern Missouri, encompasses 1.5 million acres of land, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 7:17 PM with the headline "Man fleeing cops started forest fires to avoid capture, feds say. He’s going to prison."