LAKEPORT, Calif. – A man whose travel trailer burned last week has been arrested for allegedly setting it on fire.

John Austin Mitchell, 48, was arrested Friday, Feb. 24, by Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Jay Vanoven on suspicion of arson.

Lakeport and Kelseyville firefighters responded early last Friday evening to the report of a burning travel trailer on Mission Rancheria Road outside of Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.

Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells said the travel trailer was destroyed and the occupant was gone by the time firefighters arrived.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene based on a report that it may have been arson, according to a report from Capt. Chris Macedo.

Macedo reported that the deputies met with Wells, who informed them that a bystander had told him the fire had been intentionally set.

When the deputies met with Mitchell to interview him, Mitchell allegedly told them that he recently had been despondent and wanted to get rid of “some of the bad things” in his life, according to Macedo.

Based on the interview with Mitchell, deputies learned that he allegedly started the fire by igniting a blanket in the dwelling, Macedo said.

Mitchell also is alleged to have told deputies that he used no accelerants in starting the fire, and that he had no intention of harming anyone.

Mitchell was arrested and booked into the Hill Road Correctional Facility for maliciously setting fire to an inhabited structure, Macedo said.

Jail records showed that Mitchell remained in custody on Tuesday, with bail set at $100,000.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said the case against Mitchell has been submitted to the District Attorney’s Office, and that he charged Mitchell with arson of an inhabited dwelling.

Hinchcliff said Mitchell will be in court next Monday for appearance of counsel.

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