RENO, Nev. (AP) — A northern Nevada man who is awaiting trial on arson charges in a fire that destroyed three historic buildings in Dayton last year is now accused of starting a pair of brush fires that threatened several homes in the rural town on the Fourth of July.
Jonah Watson, 26, of Dayton, was out on bail in the previous case when he was arrested and booked into the Lyon County jail on two counts of third-degree arson and two counts of reckless endangerment to the public, the Lyon County sheriff's office said Wednesday. His new bail was set at $15,000.
Watson`s lawyer, Theresa Ristenpart, said Wednesday a judge earlier found him incompetent to stand trial and that he has been trying unsuccessfully for months to secure mental health treatment amid a shortage of eligible services in northern Nevada.
The sheriff`s office said "similar circumstances" to the Fourth of July fires led to Watson`s previous arrest in December 2022 in connection with an Oct. 13 fire that destroyed three century-old buildings in Old Town Dayton, including the historic Fox Hotel.
Watson posted a $95,000 bond in December and was released from jail the day after he was arrested on three arson counts in connection with that fire, Lyon County District Attorney Stephen Rye said Wednesday in an email to The Associated Press.