Man charged with aggravated arson after Tullahoma apartment door set on fire
TULLAHOMA, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man is facing multiple charges in connection with a fire that was set at an apartment in Tullahoma earlier this month while the tenant and her children were inside.
The Tullahoma Fire Department said it was notified by the Coffee County Communications Center about a smoke alarm activated in the 100 block of Silver Street—more specifically, East Gate Apartments—just before 1:15 a.m. on Nov. 9.
Dispatch reported that an apartment door had been set on fire, so the Tullahoma Police Department and Coffee County EMS were also sent to the scene, where the incident was treated as a structure fire.
According to officials, when first responders arrived, they discovered the tenant had extinguished the bulk of the fire before escaping the apartment. As a result, suppression crews entered the structure, checked for fire extension, and eliminated any leftover hot spots.
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Once the on-duty fire investigator began the preliminary investigation into the cause and origin of the blaze, he reportedly interviewed the tenant of the affected apartment, discussed the circumstances surrounding the incident with police, and then requested the Tullahoma fire marshal come to the scene.
When Fire Marshal Nick Kimbro arrived, he and three members of the Tullahoma Police Department interviewed the tenant and witnesses, and reviewed the security camera footage, the fire department said.
Based on evidence collected at the scene, witness statements, and security footage, officials said they determined the fire had been set intentionally and ruled it incendiary.
Kimbro reportedly sent evidence samples from the scene to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab for forensic micro analysis. Meanwhile, Tullahoma Police Investigator Jason Maloney was notified the incident had resulted in a criminal investigation.
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According to the fire department, authorities identified 37-year-old David Michael Stallings Jr. as a suspect in the case, and warrants were issued for his arrest.
In the days that followed, officials said Maloney and Kimbro received multiple leads on Stallings’ whereabouts, all of which were pursued.
Then, late last week, through tips and assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities said they discovered Stallings had ended up in the Sewanee/Monteagle area.
After photographs of Stallings were distributed in the area, a person who recognized the man notified Sewanee police, who reportedly arrested Stallings at the St. Mary’s Retreat.
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On Monday, Nov. 27, fire officials said Stallings was transported to the Coffee County Jail, where he is being held on five felony charges, including three counts of aggravated arson, since the tenant and her children were home when the fire broke out.
“On behalf [of the] Tullahoma Fire Department, Fire Marshal Kimbro would like to commend and thank Tullahoma Police Investigator Jason Maloney for leading the criminal investigation, The Tullahoma Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, The US Marshals Service, Sewanee Police Department, and all other entities and individuals for their tireless efforts and involvement in bringing this suspect into custody,” Kimbro said in a statement released on Thursday, Nov. 30.
No additional details have been released about this ongoing criminal investigation.
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