Mankato Man Charged with First-Degree Arson After Early Morning House Fire Monday
A Mankato man is facing felony charges after authorities say he intentionally set fire to a home in the early morning hours of September 15.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Blue Earth County District Court, Mitchell John Thompson, 32, of Mankato, has been charged with first-degree arson of a dwelling, a felony offense that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both.
Blue Earth County dispatchers received a 911 call shortly before 5 a.m. reporting a structure fire at a residence in Mankato. Responding officers arrived to find the porch engulfed in flames as tenants evacuated the building. Believing others may still be inside, officers entered the residence to search, ultimately escaping through the back door as the fire spread. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but the home sustained significant damage.
Witnesses reported seeing a man near the property just before the fire started. Surveillance footage recovered from the residence showed a male, later identified by officers as Thompson, on the porch minutes before the fire. The video allegedly depicts Thompson setting fire to hanging sheets on the porch using a lighter. Investigators say he then paused to watch the flames before leaving the scene.
Thompson was later located at a nearby group home where he resides and taken into custody. Officers say a lighter was recovered near the front steps of the residence. Thompson declined to speak with investigators after his arrest.
He remains detained pending further court proceedings.
