Texas volunteer firefighter faces 20 counts of felony arson

(NewsNation) — A West Texas unpaid firefighter and EMS unit member, tasked with redeeming lives and extinguishing fires, is present he's down bars for allegedly igniting fires implicit the past year.

David Matthew Neet, 44, was arrested Friday connected 20 counts of felony arson charges successful transportation with aggregate brushwood fires starting successful 2023, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

An archetypal probe by the Brewster County Sheriff's Office recovered the origins of serial arson fires successful Alpine, Texas, suspicious, prompting an probe by Forest Service investigators.

Investigators judge Neet utilized delayed incendiary devices and identified him done DNA grounds and cellphone data.

"I deliberation our probe volition amusement that helium perchance acceptable much than 20 fires," said Jarred Lemmon, adjunct main instrumentality enforcement serviceman astatine the Texas A&M Forest Service, who helped way down Neet.

According to the Nation Volunteer Fire Council. astir 100 firefighters are arrested for arson each year.

Neet is being held connected a $300,000 enslaved astatine the Brewster County Detention Center.

Arson is simply a authorities jailhouse felony punishable by up to 2 years successful jailhouse and a good of up to $10,000.