Cedar Rapids man charged with lighting fires in motel, hospital

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man was arrested this week on charges that he lit a fire in a motel, was taken to a hospital — and then lit a fire in the hospital.

Joseph Detrent, 70, is charged with first-degree arson and reckless use of fire. According to a criminal complaint, Cedar Rapids police were called Monday to the Motel 6 at 3325 Southgate Ct. SW, where Detrent lives, for a report of a fire outside the building.

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Police found a wheelchair with some clothing on it, sitting outside Detrent’s room, that was smoking and smoldering from being set on fire. Detrent admitted to starting the fire in his room and then pushing the chair outside once it was lit, the complaint states.

Detrent was taken to Mercy Medical Center. The complaint doesn’t say what injuries he had or if they were a result of the fire. Early Tuesday, he started another fire in the hospital room, the complaint states.

Surveillance footage from the hospital shows Detrent applying an accelerant to his jacket and lighting it on fire, then putting his hospital gown on top of it to cause the fire to spread. The fire created a significant amount of smoke and endangered other hospital occupants, according to the complaint.

Detrent was booked Monday into the Linn County Jail and made his first court appearance on the charges Tuesday. He was ordered held on a $26,000 cash-only bail.

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