A string of arson incidents struck Memphis early yesterday morning, leading to the arrest of a 26-year-old local man. According to reports from Action News 5, Jamie Shotwell was apprehended after allegedly committing multiple acts of arson, including setting a Shell gas station ablaze.
The Memphis Police Department responded to the first incident at the Shell gas station on East Shelby Drive, where an employee reported that Shotwell purchased a minimal amount of gas, filled a brown bag with it, and ignited the bag inside the store along with some firewood before fleeing. The flames were extinguished before authorities arrived, and as of now, the motive behind the fires remains unclear. In addition to aggravated arson, Shotwell faces charges of evading arrest, reckless burning, and setting fire to personal property. He was ultimately located and arrested after a foot chase near Ross Road and Boylston Drive.
Earlier, officers were dispatched to a vehicle fire at AutoZone on Riverdale Road. As reported by FOX13 Memphis, the suspect admitted he intended to set two vehicles on fire but only managed to ignite one, a 2022 Chevrolet Colorado. MPD officers also extinguished a fire at the Hedgerow Apartments on East Shelby Drive as well as a dumpster fire at Walgreens on Riverdale Road.
Shotwell reportedly confessed to starting the vehicle and dumpster fires, according to the police affidavit, but his intentions behind such destructive actions are yet to be deciphered by investigators; his admission came during police questioning after the chase. Shotwell is being held on a $150,500 bond and is expected in court tomorrow. WREG confirms that along with the aforementioned charges, the suspect was also charged with two counts of setting fire to personal property or land.
