Midpines, CA — A 21-year-old man from Midpines faces charges of arson, aggravated assault, and obstructing a peace officer, following an incident that occurred in Idaho.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office reports that two vendors at a gold mining event at the county fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene were involved in some type of dispute. The son of one of those vendors later approached the other vendor and allegedly threw a backpack under a table. It ignited on fire, and it was picked up and quickly thrown outside, where it continued to burn.
Sheriff’s deputies and police officers responded and took the Mariposa County man, John P. Marsh, into custody. A bomb squad and fire department investigated the backpack and located additional accelerants inside the bag that did not appear to ignite.
No injuries were reported during the explosive incident, and the gold mining event was able to continue. It happened on March 8.
Detectives note that the investigation has been ongoing, and additional charges could be filed.
