ST. GEORGE — Mesquite, Nevada police arrested a man Saturday in connection with two suspected arson fires after an extensive investigation.
Kenny Ayard, 34, of Mesquite was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with felony third-degree arson, felony fourth-degree arson, and felony injury to property over $5,000.
The first incident occurred on June 7 when officers responded to a small suspicious fire inside a business. The fire was located near the electrical box and appeared to have been lit intentionally. The business owner noticed the smoke and quickly extinguished the fire before substantial damage occurred.
The second incident occurred on June 11, when officers responded to a fire in the Redd Hills Commercial Park parking lot. The officers arrive and attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful due to the rapidly growing flames. Mesquite Fire and Rescue was dispatched and arrived to quickly contain the fire. A metal storage container sustained damage, amounting to approximately $50,000 worth.
Detectives arrested Ayard after their investigation without incident.
Due to the felony charges, Ayard was transported to the Clark County Detention Center and booked in Las Vegas.
Mesquite Police Chief MaQuade Chesley said, “The officers did a stellar job discovering the evidence that linked the two crime scenes and led to the arrest of the offender.”
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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