Two Warrenton men have been indicted on federal arson charges for allegedly setting four vehicles on fire, including three belonging to local law enforcement agencies. Corey M. Puetz, 21, of the …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous wesbite, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
Two Warrenton men have been indicted on federal arson charges for allegedly setting four vehicles on fire, including three belonging to local law enforcement agencies.
Corey M. Puetz, 21, of the 200 block of Granada, and Xavier Daman Washington, 19, of the 300 block of Dahlgren, were indicted by a federal grand jury on four felony counts of arson last Thursday, Sept. 2.
They also are charged in state felony warrants with stealing a motor vehicle, first-degree burglary and stealing.
Both remain in the Warren County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Puetz and Washington are accused of going on a three-day crime spree that included stealing a vehicle and breaking into a Warrenton home.
Their alleged acts began in the early morning hours of Aug. 12 when a Warren County Sheriff’s patrol car parked at the county-owned located one block south of the courthouse was torched and destroyed.
Sheriff Kevin Harrison said a flaming rag on a stick was placed into the fuel tank of the car, a 2005 Chevrolet Impala. He also said the car had $10,000 to $12,000 worth of equipment inside it.
A deputy noticed a fire in the parking lot and reported it at 1:41 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 12. By the time firefighters arrived, the rear of the patrol car was completely engulfed.
The following morning, Puetz and Washington allegedly set fire to three Warrenton patrol cars parked outside city hall. Fortunately, an alert officer who was inside the police station heard something and went outside to investigate. He managed to keep damage to a minimum by quickly extinguishing a rear tire that was ablaze. Police Chief Greg Houdyshell said the cars had been parked alongside each other and had been sprayed with an accelerant.
The fourth vehicle to be set on fire was a stolen 1997 Ford F-150 pickup. The truck, stolen from a residence on South Morgan Street, was later discovered destroyed Aug. 13 after being placed on the railroad tracks near the Highway 47 overpass.
A citizen’s tip led deputies to identify both suspects, according to Harrison, who said a conversation was overhead pertaining to a burned truck. Puetz and Washington were arrested Aug. 14.
If convicted in federal court, both Puetz and Washington face a penalty range of five to 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000 on each felony count.
