Marshalltown man charged with arson for allegedly setting multiple fires
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Marshalltown man has been arrested for allegedly starting two fires, and court records indicate he's a suspect in another fire.
The Marshalltown Police Department said in a news release that Anthony Garcia, 22, was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of first-degree arson.
Garcia is accused of starting a fire in a hotel room he was sharing with his girlfriend at the Super 8 hotel at 3313 S. Center Street on October 24th, 2024. He is also accused of starting a fire in the upstairs of a residence in the 400 block of Union Street on February 26, 2025.
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A criminal complaint filed in the case said Garcia had been in an argument with his girlfriend on Feb. 26th. She told police Garcia said he started the fire to show her how much he loved her. Other witnesses at the residence told police Garcia was the last person upstairs when the fire began.
Another criminal complaint said Garcia is suspected of setting his girlfriend's house on fire about a month before the fire at the Super 8. Online court records did not reflect that a charge had been filed in that fire.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Garcia on May 19th.
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