Dexter man appears on 1st-degree arson charges

(ABC 6 News) – A Dexter man faces several arson charges in connection with a fire on 2nd Street SW, Austin.

Zachary Robert Peach, 26, appeared in Mower County Court Monday on two 1st-degree arson charges and one 2nd-degree arson charge dating back to May 30.

According to court documents, Austin police responded to a structure fire at 106 2nd Street SW and found a garage on fire.

The home at 106 2nd Street SW was also damaged.

Nearby apartments evacuated, and officers noted that the fire appeared to reach the condominiums at 301 West Oakland Avenue.

According to court documents, a woman in the area told police she saw a man matching Peach’s description wearing a red shirt and brown pants, walking out of the garage, shedding his shirt, and running away northbound.

Police allegedly located surveillance footage and noted the suspect’s appearance.

Later that day, police responded to a nearby bank building on a report of someone throwing rocks at the bank. The individual matched the person in the video from the fire location.

Police allegedly identified Peach while investigating the bank scene, then re-located him at a gaming store, which he fled.

He was taken into custody while hiding behind a furnace unit at Gravity Storm Brewery, according to court documents.

Police claim Peach’s boots, collected as evidence, smelled like gasoline.

He is scheduled to appear in court again June 24.