(Adel, Iowa) The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office announced that three individuals are facing charges in connection with a fire that severely damaged a bridge on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.
Authorities say 19-year-olds Daniel Sheeder, Ezra Coulter, and Leola Pierce have been arrested and charged with criminal mischief and trespassing, causing damage, along with other individual offenses, after allegedly starting the blaze earlier this week. The fire caused an estimated $900,000 in damages.
According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the fire was reported around 2 a.m. on Monday, May 12, at the east end of the bridge. Firefighters from Adel and six surrounding communities responded to the scene to help contain the flames.
Investigators determined the suspects accessed a restricted area beneath the bridge by cutting through a locked chain-link fence. Once underneath, they reportedly started a fire and fed it with wood, leading it to grow out of control. Embers from the blaze eventually spread to the bridge, setting it on fire.
