A rural Mountain Home man facing charges stemming from an alleged attempt to burn down his parents’ home while heavily intoxicated was back in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.According to the probable cause affidavit, 33-year-old Daniel Lewis Milde came to his relatives’ residence along County Road 25 during the evening of June 10. He was reported to have been intoxicated and confrontational. Milde’s father told investigators his son has exhibited similar behavior in the past leading to physical altercations at times.
Milde had been living at the residence “off and on” for about three months at the time of the recent incident, his father reported.
Recently, he had participated in an addiction treatment program offered by the John 3:16 program. It was announced to the court in late May Milde had completed the program.
Milde’s father said during the most recent incident, his son eventually left the residence, and he took the opportunity to gather family members together and take them to a local motel to send the night.
When Milde’s sister returned to the residence the next day to pick up her work shoes, she found all of the doors and windows open. She told investigators she also observed “remnants of a fire” on a cook stove and table in the kitchen.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Mountain Home fireman were dispatched to the residence for a reported structure fire just before midnight June 10. The firemen said they found a pile of rags on the cook stove and burned debris on the kitchen table. A small pile of cardboard boxes had been placed in the middle of the living room, but no attempt had been made to ignite them.
At the time he was arrested, Milde told investigators he had come home intoxicated and remembered very little about the incident. He said he believed he was cooking, which might have accounted for the fire on the stove.
Investigators reported they found no pots, pans or food items on or around the stove — only the burned rags.
Milde has been involved in two other reported incidents in which he, while intoxicated, came into one home and tried unsuccessfully to enter a second. Those incident occurred in May and June 2016.
During Thursday’s court session, Milde’s bond was lowered to $5,000. Milde’s attorney, Ben Gibson, told the court his client has already paid for the damage done to his parents’residence.
Gibson said it was alcohol that got his client into trouble. He said when he bonded out of jail, Milde would live with his parents. They have pledged to monitor his activities to ensure he stays away from alcohol. The court required Milde to be regularly tested for the presence of alcohol in his system.
He was ordered to reappear in circuit court in September.
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