Authorities have arrested a 28-year-old Little Rock man after firefighters responded to several fire calls, including one at his wife's house, all in the same neighborhood over about a 45-minute span Tuesday night.
Billy Ray Harrell faces four counts of felony arson after "numerous" eyewitnesses identified him as the person who started four fires that caused combined damage of more than $100,000, according to a Little Rock Police Department arrest report.
Harrell's wife called authorities around 7:20 p.m. to her home in the 6900 block of Skywood Road, police said.
She told police that Harrell, who lives at a different address, was at her home and appeared to be drunk, according to the report. They argued and she told him to leave, then she went upstairs, she told police.
A short time later, she noticed smoke coming from downstairs, and she ran out of her home and phoned for help, the report said.
She told authorities that Harrell had fled, according to the report. His description matched that given in several other fires in an area stretching north of Cantrell Road and west of University Avenue in the Heights neighborhood, police said.
In addition to the Skywood Road blaze, fires were reported Tuesday night in the 6500 block of Brentwood Road, the 2100 block of Durwood Road and a wooded area near Kings Row Drive, according to officials.
The fires were "suspicious in nature" given the timeline and their proximity to one another, Capt. Jason Weaver, a Fire Department spokesman, said Tuesday evening.
No injuries were reported.
Harrell was arrested about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 7900 block of West Illinois Street, police said.
He remained in the Pulaski County jail Wednesday with no bail set.
Metro on 05/11/2017