Mitchell Teconchuk of rural Mountain Home was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to a long string of charges stemming from allegations he set fire to a residence to cover up the fact he had stolen items from the house.
Teconchuk faced charges including arson, residential burglary, and filing a false report
According to court records, the 21-year-old Teconchuk is reported to have gone to the home situated along U.S. Highway 62/412 East on June 18th knowing the owners — identified as the parents of his wife — were out of town at a church function, set fire to their residence and then returned to his own home.
He is said to have then picked up his wife and returned to her parents’ home in an effort to make it appear the couple had discovered the fire. The wife called 9-1-1 to report the blaze.
According to an incident report prepared by the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, the daughter of the victims told the 9-1-1 operator Teconchuk had kicked in the door and smoke began “rolling out” of the residence.
The daughter said when the 9-1-1 report was made, the major part of the blaze was concentrated in the front of the house near a living room couch and on a bed in the master bedroom.
Both the fires in the living room and bedroom were extinguished quickly and were basically contained to the point-of-origin. Damage associated with smoke, heat and water was reported throughout the structure.
Teconchuk was reported to have told a number of false stories to investigators regarding the fire in an attempt to cast suspicion on other people and away from himself.
At one point, Teconchuk told investigators he had retrieved a garden hose and was spraying water on the fire through a window of the house. As he was being interviewed by law enforcement officers, it was explained to Teconchuk the story about the hose was untrue because a fireman had said the window had blown out as he arrived and Teconchuk nor a water hose were anywhere near the window at the time.
Investigators said Teconchuk finally admitted he had set the fire and was also responsible for other crimes associated with the arson, according to a news release from Sheriff John Montgomery at the time of the incident.
In addition to the arson, Teconchuk reported relatives had broken into the house in which he lived along Crystal Creek and stolen items. During the interview with police, he admitted he had been the one who broke a window out of a back door at his residence and falsely accused the relatives. Officers located the items he had reported stolen in various places in Teconchuk’s home.
He also admitted writing three checks on his mother-in-law’s account and depositing two of them into his wife’s account without her knowledge.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Teconchuk has been booked into the Baxter County jail 12 previous times on a long list of charges including theft of property, felony fleeing and breaking or entering.
Restitution in the case is to be determined.
Fourteenth Judicial District Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kerry Chism told Judge John Putman the state would not pursue actions to revoke Teconchuck’s suspended sentences in two cases unrelated to the arson.
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