Teen charged with arson in series of rural metro-east barn fires, sheriff says

Multiple barn fires on a rural Monroe County property were intentionally set, according to the sheriff’s department, and a 19-year-old family member who lived at the residence has been arrested and charged.

Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb this week charged Christopher A. Robert, 19, with two counts of arson, two counts of attempted arson, one count of criminal damage to property over $100,000 and one count of criminal damage to property between $10,000 and $100,000, officials said.

Deputies and local fire departments were called about 12:31 p.m. April 6 to a barn fire in the 8500 block of LL Road near Red Bud, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said in a release. The barn was fully engulfed when crews arrived, collapsed and was a total loss, along with farm equipment stored inside.

Investigators later found additional suspicious fire activity on the same property, including two unsuccessful attempts after April 6 to set other structures on fire, officials said.

The same property also saw a barn destroyed Jan. 1, with the loss of tractors — including antique equipment — and livestock, the sheriff’s department release stated.

Robert was taken into custody April 21, officials said. On April 22, investigators presented evidence to the Monroe County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The estimated loss from the incidents, including structures and equipment, is believed to be in the several hundreds of thousands of dollars, the sheriff’s department said.

“These incidents posed a significant risk to life and property, including to our first responders,” Sheriff Neal Rohlfing said in a statement, adding that the department’s investigators and partner agencies worked to bring “clarity and accountability” to the case.

Robert remained in the Monroe County Jail pending pretrial detention hearing. The sheriff’s department thanked the Red Bud Fire Department for its help in the investigation.