Adam Armour | Itawamba Times
Arson suspects Dennis Howery, Tristen Loague and Collin Jones are escorted to the Itawamba County Jail following their initial court appearances Tuesday. The three suspects are volunteer firefighters accused of setting fire to a Dorsey area home.
By Adam Armour
Itawamba Times
FULTON – Three volunteer firefighters have been charged with starting a fire in a Dorsey area home.
Wednesday morning, officials with the Itawamba County Sheriff’s Department charged Dennis Howery, 19, of Mantachie, Tristen Loague, 19, of Fulton, and Collin Jones, 20, of Mantachie, with arson. All three suspects are volunteers with the Dorsey-Friendship Fire Department.
The suspects are accused of setting fire to the mobile home at 95 Ballardsville Road early Sunday morning. According to Itawamba County Sheriff Chris Dickinson, the suspects allegedly broke into the home some time after 1 a.m. and set fires in multiple rooms. They then fled the house and called 911 to report the fire, using one of their own phones to make the call but giving the dispatcher a false name.
A sheriff’s deputy was in the area and responded to the fire within a few minutes of the call. Dickinson said the deputy noticed the door to the home had been kicked in. A quick investigation of the house revealed small fires in multiple rooms, alerting him that it was likely a case of arson.
According to the sheriff, the three suspects, acting in their capacity as volunteer firefighters, arrived at the house approximately five minutes after calling in the fire, which raised additional suspicions. A fire truck from Dorsey-Evergreen Fire Department arrived approximately 15 minutes later.
The sheriff said having a deputy on scene so quickly, before the house had time to burn, made for a much faster investigation.
“We were fortunate enough to have a deputy there who could identify the cause of the fire as arson,” Dickinson said.
Officials say all three suspects have confessed to the arson. They received initial court appearances Tuesday morning. Justice Court Judge Harold Holcomb has set their bonds at $10,000 each.
If convicted, Howery, Loague and Jones face up to 20 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
adam.armour@journalinc.com