A Seymour man was arrested on arson and other charges early Sunday morning.
Police continue to investigate the incident late Saturday night and Sunday morning that led to the arrest of Tyson Benjamin Marshall, 31, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Carothers said.
“The investigation is still open on it,” he said of the case initially investigated by county Officer Mitch Ray.
Marshall was arrested on charges of arson, a Level 4 felony, and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a firearm.
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The fire destroyed a residence at 10942 N. County Road 25E in Hamilton Township owned by David W. Rust Jr.
Witnesses in the area told police they saw Marshall walking away from the scene, Carothers said.
He said police went across the Bartholomew County line to Marshall’s grandmother’s house and arrested him.
The state fire marshal was on the scene Sunday investigating the fire.
Rust said he has lived at the residence for three years but was camping with relatives and friends when a neighbor called him. He then called his mother, who confirmed the home was on fire.
“She said it was all the way up in flames,” he said.
Rust said he has known Marshall since he was young and did not know a motive, adding the two last spoke at the funeral of one of Marshall’s relatives a couple of months ago.
“We’ve never had any problems, never had problems between anyone in my family or his family,” Rust said.
Marshall was booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown at 2:29 a.m. Sunday without bond pending his initial hearing in Jackson Circuit Court.
A Level 4 felony carries a sentence of two to 12 years with an advisory sentence of six years following a conviction.
A second fire was reported at 3:04 a.m. Sunday in Hamilton Township in the 10600 block of North County Road 25E. Details about the fire were unavailable, and it’s unclear if the two incidents are related.