Mason City man accused of setting his home on fire pleads not guilty to arson charge

MASON CITY — A Mason City man accused of setting his home on fire last month has pleaded not guilty to an arson charge.

39-year-old Dustin 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 was charged with first-degree arson, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He entered a written plea of not guilty to the charge on Monday in Cerro Gordo County District Court, with his trial scheduled to start on October 21st.