A northern Nevada man who is awaiting trial on arson charges in a fire that destroyed three historic buildings in Dayton last year is now accused of starting a pair of brush fires that threatened several homes in the rural town on the Fourth of July.
Jonah Watson, 26, of Dayton, was out on bail in the previous case when he was arrested and booked into the Lyon County jail on two counts of third-degree arson and two counts of reckless endangerment to the public, the Lyon County sheriff’s office said Wednesday. His new bail was set at $15,000.
Watson's lawyer, Theresa Ristenpart, said Wednesday a judge earlier found him incompetent to stand trial and that he has been trying unsuccessfully for months to secure mental health treatment amid a shortage of eligible services in northern Nevada.
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Firefighters responded Tuesday to a brush fire that was spreading rapidly and threatening multiple structures on the west edge of Dayton 12 miles northeast east of Carson City, the sheriff's office said.
Citizens with garden hoses helped fire crews douse the blaze before it burned any buildings. But a short time later, another fire was reported about a mile away on the southeast side of town east of U.S. Highway 50. It also threatened homes and businesses.
The sheriff's office said multiple witnesses identified Watson at the scene of both fires, and additional evidence led investigators to conclude he set the fires.
The sheriff's office said "similar circumstances" led to Watson's previous arrest in December 2022 in connection with an Oct. 13 fire that destroyed three century-old buildings in Old Town Dayton, including the historic Fox Hotel.
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Watson posted a $95,000 bond in December and was released from jail the day after he was arrested on three arson counts in connection with that fire, Lyon County District Attorney Stephen Rye said Wednesday in an email to The Associated Press.
Watson last appeared in court at a hearing on June 8, Rye said. His next court date is pending.
Ristenpart, the Reno defense lawyer who has been representing Watson, said in an email to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the court "had previously determined Jonah is incompetent to stand trial."
"For months, we have been trying to secure mental health treatment for Jonah, but there are precious few resources in our community," she wrote.
In all of northern Nevada, Lake's Crossing in Sparks is the only hospital that accepts mentally ill defendants found incompetent and involved in the criminal justice system, Ristenpart said.
"Unfortunately, we were all waiting for resources to become available at Lake’s Crossing prior to this new arrest and allegation," she said.
