A southeast Iowa man was arrested late Saturday after authorities say he intentionally set fire to his own apartment in Mount Pleasant.
Police were dispatched around 11:47 p.m. on December 6 after Eric Shroyer, 33, called Henry County Dispatch and reported that he had deliberately set fire to his residence. Both the Mount Pleasant Police Department and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded on scene. Shroyer told dispatchers he would be waiting in the parking lot of the Open Bible Church, where Sergeant Body later located him. Officers say Shroyer immediately confessed, and smoke was already visible coming from the apartment building.
Shroyer was detained while Sergeant Body and Officer Swanson went to the scene at 909 East Henry Street and found the apartment fully engulfed. Crews from the Mount Pleasant Fire Department quickly arrived and extinguished the flames. The building, a single-row structure with shared roofing, sustained significant structural, electrical, and plumbing damage, forcing all residents to evacuate for the night. No injuries were reported. Henry County Emergency Management and Henry County Health Center ambulance crews assisted displaced tenants.
According to investigators, Shroyer admitted he poured a gallon of gasoline on his bed and couch before lighting the fire with a lighter. He told officers he was “tired of living” and wanted to return to prison. When asked about the safety of his neighbors, Shroyer allegedly said he had not considered them and would not have warned anyone.
Shroyer was arrested and charged with First-Degree Arson, a Class B felony, and transported to the Henry County Jail. He is being held on a $25,000 bond. Court records also show Shroyer has a prior conviction for Second-Degree Arson from December 2, 2019, in Greene County, Missouri.
KILJ reminds readers, a criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.