Mytavious Swift, a 21-year-old Bellevue man, was booked into Sarpy County Jail on charges of first-degree arson, burglary and criminal mischief greater than $5,000 after an Oct. 10 fire at Brent Village Apartments. Police allege he broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment, damaged her belongings and set her clothes on fire while recording himself.
According to WOWT, a Bellevue police officer on road patrol was dispatched to the fire near Lee Drive and 14th Avenue at about 2:46 a.m. that day. When the officer arrived, he saw smoke pouring from a third-floor apartment and, while helping evacuate residents, noticed a smoke detector lying on the floor — an early sign something was off inside the unit.
Firefighters told police the fire appeared to have been set intentionally inside the apartment, WOWT reported. Swift's ex-girlfriend told officers he had set the fire and damaged her property, according to the outlet.
Police Say Swift Walked Toward Officers and Was Detained
According to the incident account reported by WOWT, Swift walked toward officers at the scene and was detained. He later told police he had climbed into the apartment, damaged his ex-girlfriend's belongings and set her clothing on fire.
After setting his ex-girlfriend's clothing on fire, Swift allegedly removed smoke detectors from the ceiling when he heard them sounding and put them in a bathtub so police would not be notified.
Videos and Texts Allegedly Document the Fire
The account reported by WOWT says Swift sent text messages, photos and videos to a friend of his ex-girlfriend. The materials allegedly showed him inside the apartment, including video of him climbing to the third-floor unit with his face visible.
In a message described in the report, Swift allegedly told another person he was destroying his ex-girlfriend's clothing and wrote that he wanted to “finna see this shiii on fire.” The messages and recordings are among the evidence investigators cited, according to the outlet.
What Nebraska Law Says About the Charges
Nebraska's first-degree arson statute addresses fires set in a building when another person is present and the person setting the fire knows that or the circumstances make someone's presence reasonably probable, according to the Nebraska Legislature. The state's criminal-mischief statute classifies losses of $5,000 or more as a Class IV felony; WOWT reported that the charge against Swift is criminal mischief greater than $5,000. Swift faces the charges.
Smoke Alarms and Local Support
National Fire Protection Association data show that the death rate per 1,000 reported home structure fires is approximately 60 percent lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or alarms that did not operate, according to the National Fire Protection Association. That national statistic does not establish what happened in this apartment. Sarpy County says people with questions about a criminal case or protection orders can contact its Victim/Witness Unit at 402-593-2201.
Swift was scheduled to appear in Sarpy County Court on Tuesday, WOWT reported. No additional details about the outcome of that court date have been made available.
