Cedar Rapids man accused of lighting house on fire

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man is accused of lighting a house of fire on the day he was set to be evicted from the residence.

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Michael Eugene Hines, 43, is charged with second-degree arson. He was captured on surveillance video placing gasoline at the house, at 385 15th Street SE, around the time it was set on fire on Aug. 8, according to a criminal complaint.

Cedar Rapids firefighters were called to the house at 9:43 a.m. on Aug. 8 and the fire, found in the basement, was extinguished in less than five minutes, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

The house has been considered a nuisance property in Cedar Rapids on and off since 2014, and was deemed unlivable after the fire last month.

A warrant was issued for Hines’ arrest on Sept. 18 and he was taken into custody Friday. He had his first appearance in court over the weekend and is being held in the Linn County Jail on a cash-only, $10,000 bond.

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