MASON CITY — A Mason City man is in jail on an arson charge after being accused of setting his home on fire earlier this month.
39-year-old Dustin Baltierra was taken into custody on Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Baltierra is accused of setting the fire at 160 15th Northwest on the morning of July 17th in the breezeway of the residence he shares with his family. A criminal complaint says the arson occurred after an argument with his wife involving their marriage ending. The complaint says Baltierra admitted to damaging items in the house prior to the fire and said he flipped over a table which blocked the entry to the breezeway, where the fire occurred.
After an investigation by the Mason City Fire Department, they concluded the fire was started by open flame to class A materials. The other residents of the home denied smoking cigarettes within the past year and denied anyone’s presence in the breezeway area in the recent past.
Baltierra has been charged with first-degree arson, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
He’s being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on a total of $25,000 cash-only bond. He’s due in court for his preliminary hearing on August 8th.
