PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — A guy from Panama City Beach who is accused of setting fires is being held without bond in the Bay County Jail.
An arrest document says that 23-year-old Carter Adair did between $4 and $8 million worth of damage when he burned down several houses in the River Camp neighborhood early on Tuesday morning.
Even as the fire was going on, neighbors told the police that Adair was guilty for damage in the area the week before.
A Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrest document says that Adair’s entry to the River Camp neighborhood through the main gate was cut off on April 17 because of “an issue” with Adair. The story says that Adair’s family owned a house in the neighborhood, but they lived somewhere else.
Investigators say that Adair went back to the neighborhood one day after his access was cut off and caused $1,500 worth of damage to the community center. He spray-painted a picnic table, put silverware in a microwave and turned it on, moved the stove, turned on the fire suppression system, and threw a grill and other things into the pool, according to the statement.
The crime was done by Adair, the report says, because it was caught on video.
Then, on Tuesday, several hours before the fire, a woman saw Adair on the land again. She told detectives that he wouldn’t talk to her or her husband, and that she noticed him because “he was carrying a backpack with metal clanking together.”
Video surveillance of the event shows a man wearing dark clothes, a dark mask, and a “mint-colored towel or head wrap with white fringe.” This man fits Adair’s description.
According to Adair’s arrest report, when police checked his home and car, they found all of these things, as well as a shoe that matched shoe prints and video from the crime scene. They also said they had proof that his car was in the area when the fire was set.
Adair told detectives over and over again that he was home all day and did not start the fire.
During Adair’s first court date, his lawyer asked for a medical assessment of his client. Judge Shane Vann said that Adair should be kept in jail without bail until this review was done. If he is found to be able to stand trial, Adair will have to go back to court for a bond hearing and more.
