Two deny involvement in arson at Columbus Towing & Recovery

The two men accused of the April 6 arson at Columbus Towing & Recovery denied any involvement in the vehicle fire during a hearing Thursday morning in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Jimmy Lee Lovett, 19, and Shay Jerernest Dawson, 23, pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree arson. They were both ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail under bonds totaling $10,000.

Columbus Fire & EMS were called around 1:35 a.m. to a vehicle fire at 318 10th Ave., where they viewed a surveillance video that shows a maroon four-door SUV circle the business multiple times before three people climbed over the fence.

“We believe the suspects parked somewhere out of the area and walked to the scene,” Columbus fire investigator Lance Christian testified.

The group allegedly approached a 1996 Nissan Maxima and ignited the rear end of the vehicle, authorities said. As two of the suspects fled from the vehicle, one of the suspects ran around and threw an object at the car, which became engulfed in flames shortly after.

The $10,000 vehicle was deemed a total loss but no one was harmed, Christian confirmed.

Later that day around 3 p.m., officials located the SUV in the area of Maple Circle with Lovett and Dawson inside. Officials arrested the men and placed them in the Muscogee County Jail on theft by receiving stolen property charges, which they didn’t face during the Thursday morning hearing.

Christian said they obtained search warrants on Monday to seize the defendants’ clothes from the jail that appeared to match the clothing worn by the individuals in the surveillance video. A K-9 sniffed the clothing and detected what may have been ignitable liquids on the clothing, Christian stated.

The defendants said they had no clue the SUV they were traveling in was stolen and denied any involvement in the arson.

“I was catching a ride to a girl’s house,” Dawson testified. “That was the only reason I was in the car that was stolen.”

Judge Michael Cielinski bound the case over to Superior Court.

Officials have yet to identify the third suspect in the case.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Two deny involvement in arson at Columbus Towing & Recovery."