A 21-year-old Californian man has been arrested on arson charges after a backpack caught fire in Kootenai County.
Deputies with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) responded to a report of a backpack exploding during a gold mining event on Saturday, March 8.
Upon further investigation, authorities learned that two vendors got into an altercation on Friday, March 7. The next day, the son of one of the vendors threw a backpack underneath the other vendor's table. The backpack caught fire and was thrown outside the building, where it continuously burned.
The Spokane County Bomb Squad, along with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, arrived at the scene and rendered the backpack safe. The suspect was detained by KCSO deputies and officers from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.
The suspect has been identified as 21-year-old John P. Marsh of Midpines, California. He was arrested on charges of suspicion of arson, obstructing a peace officer, and aggravated assault.
Authorities contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and they will be assisting in the investigation.
