Some people who live in Albuquerque's Huning Highlands neighborhood believe one man is to blame for a rash of random fires the area has seen over the past six months.
Ben Sturge, a longtime resident of the neighborhood, told KOB 4 that his security cameras captured a man lighting a fire at the edge of his property on April 22. Approximately an hour later his son spotted the same man, so they called 911 and chased after him.
"He's obviously mentally ill as well as on drugs which is always a really toxic combination," Sturge told KOB 4. "Guy obviously needs treatment, but we also need enforcement because he's going to torch this neighborhood."
Albuquerque police arrested the man, now identified as Sly Jones, on charges of arson, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felony drug possession. KOB 4 reported that Jones was released from custody two days after his arrest.
Sturge believes the man's quick release just verifies what he hears from police officers.
"Hammers home what all the cops tell me, which is: we arrest these people, and then we rearrest them, and rearrest them, and we just keep arresting them, and they just keep breaking the law," Sturge said.
With less than 200 historic homes, the Huning Highlands neighborhood is one of the oldest in the city, and it has history that Sturge doesn't want to see destroyed.
Jones has been several times arrested on fire-related charges, KOB 4 said. In April of 2021, he was accused of throwing rocks at the person who called 911 after he set a downtown dumpster on fire. Three months later, Jones was taken into custody for another dumpster fire, but the felony charge was dropped after a judge deemed him to be incompetent.
A status hearing for charges stemming from the suspect's latest arrest is scheduled for next month.