Falling Waters man arrested on 2 arson charges

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Falling Waters man who told investigators he was staying in a hotel because of a fire at his home has been charged in a fire at both the hotel room and his house.

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office reports Christopher Joseph Sterling Johnson, 40 years old of Falling Waters has been arrested by West Virginia State Fire Marshal investigators after allegedly setting fire to a hotel room and his own home.

 

On June 23rd fire crews responded to a reported fire at the Comfort Inn Hotel located on Edwin Miller Boulevard, according to a report from the fire marshal’s office. “Crews found a small fire in the bathroom of an occupied room there and extinguished the fire with limited damage to the structure.”

“Johnson admitted to investigators that he had set the fire and told them that he was staying at the hotel as a result of a separate fire that had occurred at his own residence in May,” according to the report. “Johnson admitted to investigators that he had intentionally set that fire as well.”

The WVSFMO arrested Johnson on July 2 on two counts of first-degree arson. He is being held in the Eastern Regional Jail on a $107,500.00 bond.