Arson charge filed in fire at Fruitland apartments

Arson charges were filed Friday against an individual suspected of setting a fire in a Fruitland apartment building Thursday.

Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney Mark Welker filed a first-degree arson charge, a class B felony, against Samuel Stewart Sparks, 62, of Jackson.

According to the probable-cause statement, on or about 6:44 p.m. Thursday, the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's department responded to a report of a structure fire at 200 Lotus Drive. Fruitland Fire Department was already on scene, and the person believed to have set the fire, a white male later identified as Sparks, was standing to the side of the building, dressed in jeans and no shirt.

Sparks stated that he started the fire in his apartment, and further stated that he lit the fire in his residence, apartment 2, using a lighter and gasoline.

A Bic lighter was recovered from Sparks' front pocket.

According to the probable cause statement, a witness stated that smoke detectors in the apartment appeared to have been purposely pulled out, delaying response time.

During interrogation at the Jackson police department, Sparks admitted to removing the smoke detectors in his apartment and intentionally setting the fire in his apartment, according to the PC statement.

Sparks is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

No mention of injuries was made in the PC statement.