A man was charged with arson in connection with three recent fires in two subdivisions in southern Forsyth County, one of which was apparently near his residence.
Piyushkumar Dayalaji Mistry, 38, is suspected in fires that occurred in the Springmonte and Saddlebrook subdivisions, Forsyth County fire Division Chief Barry Head said Thursday in a news release.
On July 5, a fire occurred at the Springmonte clubhouse. On Saturday, a fire was reported at the pavilion near the Springmonte tennis court. Then on Tuesday, a fire broke out in a parked vehicle in Saddlebrook, Head said.
Mistry lives about one-fourth of a mile from the clubhouse, Channel 2 Action News reported.
On the evening of the vehicle fire, a Forsyth County deputy stopped a car for an expired tag, Head said. The deputy saw suspicious items in the car and notified fire department investigators.
“A search warrant was issued for the individual’s home, where items linked to the three fires were found,” Head said.
Mistry was being held at the Forsyth County jail on unrelated charges when the fire marshal’s office charged him Wednesday, according to Head.
“He was arrested while the last fire was in progress,” Head told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an email.
Mistry is charged with three counts of first-degree arson, driving with a suspended license and child cruelty. He is being held without bond in the Forsyth County jail.
His wife, Disha Ratilalbhai Tank, was arrested Tuesday in the Springmonte subdivision on charges of littering and simple battery on a law enforcement officer, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Mistry left the couple’s 6-month-old child home alone, according to the release. The child now is in the custody of the state Division of Family and Children Services.
Federal immigration officials also have a hold on Mistry, Channel 2 reported.
The investigation is ongoing.
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