Dexter home destroyed: Police uncover makeshift stove as two face multiple charges

Dexter home destroyed: Police uncover makeshift stove as two face multiple charges

Two people have been arrested, accused of starting a fire that destroyed a Dexter home.

A structure fire was reported at 11:51 a.m. Jan. 6, at 118 W. Stanley in Dexter, Dexter police Chief Hank Trout said in a press release.

The Dexter fire and police departments, along with Stoddard County Deputy Kody Lamunion, responded to the scene.

Dexter Fire Department reported that on seen were pumper 3, pumper 4, ladder 19 and 18 firefighters. They were on scene 2for two hours.

The fire was extinguished, and the Missouri State Fire Marshal was called to investigate further.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Tony Love, 23, and Kyla Forister, 22, had been staying in the unoccupied residence without the owner's permission for approximately four days, according to police reports.

"The residence did not have any electricity and to keep warm, they had a makeshift fire stove that they used to burn baseboards of the home and an old pallet, which was in the area of the house where the fire was believed to have started," said Trout.

Charges and Arrests

Love and Forister were arrested and charged with multiple offenses. The charges include a Class E Felony of first-degree property damage, a Class C Misdemeanor of negligent burning or exploding, and an infraction of second-degree trespassing. They are currently held at the Stoddard County Jail on a $7,500 10% cash/surety bond.

Acknowledgments

Trout expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts in the investigation.

"I would like to thank officers and detectives with the Dexter Police Department, the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office, the Dexter Fire Department and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office for their assistance in the investigation," he said.