By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A 28-year-old man is facing felony charges after allegedly starting a fire inside a home during an argument with his mother over unpaid rent and eviction.
Alexander Jay Ryan was arrested Monday night and booked into the Iron County Jail. He faces a second-degree felony for arson and two class A misdemeanors for possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, and obstruction of justice. Police say the fire endangered lives and occurred while Ryan was already on probation.
According to the charging documents, Enoch City police responded to a report of arson on July 21 after a woman called dispatch stating her son Alex Ryan just tried to burn the house down by putting “something in the oven” and lighting it on fire. She managed to extinguish the flames, and police confirmed the fire was out by the time they arrived. By that point, Ryan had fled the scene.
The woman told police she saw smoke and heard the fire alarm coming from Ryan’s residence. When she entered, she found a toilet paper roll on fire inside the oven. Officers later located Ryan in the Three Peaks Recreation Area and took him into custody.
During a search, deputies found a large “buck” knife on his person — a violation of his restricted status due to a prior felony conviction.
Investigators later interviewed Ryan’s ex-girlfriend, who said he had sent her a message on Snapchat confirming he had placed toilet paper in the oven. Ryan initially blamed the fire on the ex-girlfriend, giving officers a fabricated story he later admitted was false, according to the affidavit.
During a recorded police interview, Ryan confessed to starting the fire.
“He admitted to putting the toilet paper in the oven with no intention to harm anyone but, knowing the potential outcomes of causing serious bodily injury or death,” the affidavit states.
He also told officers his ex-girlfriend had encouraged him to do it “to deprive the complainants from a home because soon he wouldn’t have one.”
Due to Ryan’s prior convictions, active probation status, and multiple pending cases, officers requested that he be held without bail.
“The crime committed could have led to serious bodily injury or possibly death,” the affidavit reads.
Ryan remains in custody.