Man accused of attempting to set business on fire late last month believed to be involved in 12 other fire incidents, charged

Little Rock, Arkansas – The 37-year-old Nathan James Hester was indicted on Wednesday after an investigation showed that he tried to set Jim’s Razorback Pizza in Maumelle on fire late last month. The information was provided by the Office of the United States Attorney Eastern District of Arkansas on Thursday.

In addition, the investigation showed that the North Little Rock man was probably involved in at least 12 other fire incidents that occurred in the last two months. The first fire incident was reported early in September, and there have been a total of 13 incidents until late October. Per the available records, the fire incidents have occurred in the area of the Oak Grove community in Pulaski County and the city of Maumelle.

Hester was charged by a grand jury, but more charges are expected for the other incidents that are yet to be fully investigated.

The Jim’s Razorback Pizza fire incident took place on October 20, but the complaint was filed by the restaurant owner five days later. On October 25, the manager smelled smoke and walked outside just to discover that the back of the restaurant was on fire. The fire was put out, and no significant damage was caused.

As a part of the investigation, the local authorities obtained several surveillance videos that observed the back of the restaurant. Security footage indicated a man wearing a head covering walking behind the building when the fire began. A witness told police that Hester was the man seen in the security footage obtained by the authorities. A second witness later said that he saw Hester in the area where the incident occurred around the time of the event.

Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary is in charge of the case. The investigation was conducted by several agencies and departments, including the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, Oak Grove Fire Department, Maumelle Police Department, Maumelle Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.