BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Palm Bay man faces arson and weapons charges after being seen trying to set an SUV on fire outside of a West Melbourne hotel, according to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
Peter Simpson, 62, was arrested early Sunday after deputies say he ignited the vehicle, jumped into his own and tried to speed away without his lights on toward Highway 192, the sheriff said on social media. Ivey’s post included photos showing Simpson, the SUV he allegedly set on fire and the weapons deputies say they found in his vehicle.
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An agent with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office had reportedly seen Simpson erratically pulling into the hotel’s parking lot before donning gloves and a mask, crouching near a white Nissan SUV and setting the fire, the post states. As such, two K-9 units who were waiting for Simpson as he tried to drive away conducted a traffic stop near a 192 exit, the sheriff said.
Simpson complied and a loaded Ruger was found inside of his pocket, Ivey said. Inside of the car he was driving, deputies found the gloves and mask, handcuffs, another pistol, a baton, a rifle, knives and pepper spray, according to the post.
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Further investigation found that Simpson was a partial owner of “the vehicle,” though the post did not specify whether this meant the car he was driving or the SUV he’s accused of igniting. This vehicle’s other owner was described as “a female who was currently staying at the hotel,” the sheriff said.
Simpson faces charges of second-degree arson and carrying a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony, booking records show. He’s currently being held on no bond.
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