Iowa City man charged with arson after fire at Waterfront Hy-Vee

IOWA CITY — An Iowa City man has been charged with arson following a fire near a Hy-Vee loading dock Saturday.

According to an Iowa City Police Department criminal complaint, Hy-Vee management called about 8 p.m. to report a fire by the loading dock at the 1720 Waterfront Dr. store.

Firefighters told officers an accelerant was put on the fire.

Surveillance video showed a man — later identified as 56-year-old Douglas H. Johnson — walking in front of the Hy-Vee and then toward the loading dock. A few minutes later, around 5:45 p.m., Johnson was seen quickly walking away from the area of the loading dock, according to the complaint.

Police said when they located Johnson, he smelled of an accelerant and admitted to being in the area of the fire.

Johnson is charged with first-degree arson, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, and third-degree criminal mischief, an aggravated misdemeanor. He is being held in the Johnson County Jail on $27,000 cash or surety bond.

The fire caused about $1,000 in damage, the complaint stated.