Wyatt

BELINGTON — A Randolph County man is facing a felony arson charge after allegedly setting fire to a residence on Misty Mountain Road in Randolph County.

Charles Olen Wyatt, 29, is charged with burning first-degree arson, a felony. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $30,000 cash-only bond set by Randolph County Magistrate Tracy Harper.

According to the criminal complaint, filed by Trooper H. J. Bonetti with the West Virginia State Police, on Nov. 29, Bonetti was dispatched to a “suspicious fire” located on Misty Mountain Road in Belington. Upon arrival, Bonetti observed an active structure fire.

Bonetti writes that Brad Miller with the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office obtained a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera. As Bonetti and Miller walked past a structure near a wooded hillside, Miller observed a “white in color object” moving on the FLIR. Bonetti turned on his flashlight and allegedly witnessed Wyatt “wearing jeans, a camouflage jacket and a black bookbag.”

Wyatt was then allegedly observed running up the hillside, the complaint states. Bonetti proceeded to pursue Wyatt, who allegedly resisted arrest. After placing Wyatt under arrest, Bonetti observed burns on Wyatt’s body. Emergency medical technicians also noted wounds on Wyatt, advising that he had burns to his left leg and right forearm.

The Barbour County Sheriff’s Office deputies advised that three witnesses allegedly observed a blue bicycle in front of the residence “a short time before the fire began,” the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Barbour County Sheriff’s Office Deputy A. Williams advised that Wyatt had allegedly excitedly uttered, “I burned that mother****er to the ground.”