CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A Cheyenne man has been charged with arson after police believe he attempted to light several cars on fire.
Joseph Nathaniel Hernandez, 33, has been charged with third-degree arson.
Hernandez is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, in April 2022, officers were dispatched to a home in the city regarding a physical disturbance and a suspect attempting to light cars on fire.
When police arrived, they found a man holding Hernandez on the ground near a half-empty bottle of lighter fluid.
The man told police he had heard a noise outside, and when he went to investigate, he saw Hernandez spraying lighter fluid on the two parked cars in the driveway. The man came out and confronted Hernandez before chasing him around the property. When Hernandez tried to light the cars on fire, the man and two women of the residence tackled him and held him to the ground, police were told.
One of the women said she saw Hernandez trying to light the cars on fire, adding he punched her in the side of the head when she tried to stop him.
Hernandez was also arrested on Tuesday, March 14, for several other crimes, including criminal entry, theft of under $1,000, and two counts of interference with a peace officer.
