Man arrested and charged with arson after setting public restroom on fire 4 times.
On Tuesday, the Austin authorities arrested a 32-year-old individual near the corner of the Red River St. and East Sixth Street. The man, whom the police officers identified as Dwight Eric Clayton Jr., has been charged with arson after setting a public toiled on fire four times.
Man Arrested for Arson Seen Many Times in the Vicinity
According to the authorities, ever since September 2017, the city has begun installing public restrooms. However, apparently one of the has recently turned into the target of a 32-year-old man from Austin. For some reason, the individual seems to relish the sight of the burning toilet and has done so on many occasions.
The story of the wanton restroom arsonist begins on the 15th of January. A Downtown Austin Alliance worker commissioned to clean the public restroom told the authorities that on that day, at approximately 6 a.m. he saw a man coming out of the restroom.
After entering the toilet, the worker discovered that the man who just left started a small fire. Fortunately, the Downtown Austin Alliance employee managed to douse the flames before they could damage the public toiled.
However, this was not to be the man’s last arson attempt. According to the employee, the suspect returned later that day and lit a cigarette inside the bathroom. The worker managed to extinguish the flames a second time.
On Tuesday, while out cleaning the restroom, the employee recalls seeing another City Alliance worker waiting in front of the restroom while Clayton locked himself inside with smoke coming out the window. This time, the flames damaged the restroom, but the suspect fled before anyone could apprehend him.
Still, the man returned two hours later and again set the restroom on fire. This time, the authorities managed to run him down and catch him. Clayton has been charged with arson.
Image source: Max Pixel
