POCATELLO — A 66-year-old local man was recently arrested after police say he intentionally set a car and vehicle on fire.
Matthew Laroche Moyer, 66, of Pocatello, has been charged with two felony counts of first degree arson following the incident, which began to unfold around 4:30 a.m. on Friday.
Pocatello police were dispatched to the area of Cedar Street for the report of a man that was attempting to light a car on fire, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.
Upon arrival, officers located a white sedan that was on fire as well as a nearby dumpster, according to the police report.
Officers had received a call on Thursday about Moyer and the same vehicle that was on fire and were aware of a dispute between him and the owner of the vehicle, police said.
Officers contacted Moyer at his residence through an open window and asked him if he knew who started the fires and Moyer admitted that he did it, according to the report.
Moyer then exited the residence and was arrested for felony arson before being taken to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello, police said.
At the jail, the arresting officer was informed by another officer that there was surveillance footage that showed Moyer starting both fires, according to the report.
Moyer appeared in front of 6th District Magistrate Judge Aaron Thompson for an arraignment hearing on Friday, during which he was ordered to be released from his own recognizance, court records show.
He is due back in court on July 24 for a preliminary hearing that will involve local prosecutors attempting to prove there is enough evidence against him to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.
If convicted of all felony charges filed against him, he faces up to 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.
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