A Harrisonburg man has been arrested for intentionally setting a fire in a hotel room earlier this week.
John Wesley Whitaker Jr. was taken into custody by the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, after allegedly admitting to starting the fire.
Harrisonburg Fire Department units were dispatched Tuesday for a fire alarm in the 1400 block of East Market Street.
While enroute, the incident was upgraded to a structure fire with smoke coming from one of the rooms. Units arrived at the location in under two minutes and found a fire contained by a functioning fire sprinkler system.
Fire department personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire, and water and smoke damage were limited.
The hotel was evacuated temporarily while personnel confirmed the fire was extinguished.
Whitaker was initially transported to the hospital for evaluation before being released and then taken into custody.
He was charged with multiple felonies including:
- Section 18.2-77 Burning or destroying a dwelling house, etc. (attempted)
- Section 18.2-81 Burning or destroying personal property
“Starting a fire an in occupied building is an extremely serious matter,” said Captain Luke Walker with the HFD Fire Marshal Office. “We would like to thank the Commonwealth’s Attorney for their willingness to support the pursuit of these charges, as well as the Harrisonburg Police Department and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office for their support during the investigation.”
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Crystal Graham
