HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 43-year-old Hutchinson man is jailed after police say he attempted to set fire to an apartment building in the 700 block of East Sherman.
Emmett Hutton IV is jailed on five counts of aggravated arson and one count of criminal damage to property.
According to reports, Hutton believed he saw a person in his car, and ran inside the residence to confront someone he thought was responsible. At that time, he damaged a water meter belonging to the City of Hutchinson, then threw motor oil on the building and tried to set it on fire.
Two adults and five children were inside the residence at the time. The oil did catch fire and charred a very small piece of the building’s siding.
Police are investigating to see if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the incident.
He made his first appearance Friday morning in front of Judge Trish Rose where he was told of the possible charges and she left the bond at $37,750.
He is no stranger to the law with prior convictions for burglaries, forgery counts and a number of theft convictions. Some were in Reno and some in Sedgwick County. He has been in and out of prison over the past couple of years after his initial parole in May of 2010. His most recent parole was back on June 18.
Hutton will be back in court next Wednesday or whenever the state files formal charges.