A Baxter County man, 42-year-old Mark Mucha accused of two counts of arson in mid-May, allegedly admitted to starting the fires of two homes he owns. According to the arrest affidavit on Monday, May 15th at approximately 3:12 in the morning, Baxter County 911 received a call from a male, identifiying himself as Mucha stating he had just lit his house, at 952 Hickory Flats in Lakeview, on fire. Another call was received, at 4:52 the same morning, from an unidentified female saying Mucha stopped by her residence and informed her he had burned his house down and was going to turn himself in.Later that morning at 5:15 a second call from a male, claiming to be Mucha, came in saying he set fire to another structure he uses as a second home at 197 Buffalo Rapids Lane in the Buford area. Both of the homes are likely a total loss and were valued at about $270,000.
Later the same day the Ozark County Sheriff’s office called to say Mucha had turned himself in saying he burned his house that morning and was wanted by the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigator from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office attempted to question Mucha about the incident to which he replied he vaguely remembered doing it, but didn’t want to talk. Mucha refused any other comments and refused to waive extradition back to Arkansas.
He is being charged with arson because, according to court filings, the fire was started with the purpose of destroying or otherwise damaging a property, whether it was his own property or that of another person, and it created a risk of serious injury or death.
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