Mason County judge confirms courthouse fire suspect in custody, charges pending

[TexasTowelie]

More information has been released about an investigation into two fires in Mason, one of which destroyed the historic county courthouse, according to a news release from Mason County.

About 9:50 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, Mason volunteer firefighters responded to a structure fire in the 300 block of Ranck Street in Mason. Around 15 minutes later, the courthouse fire alarm sounded.

More firefighters responded to the courthouse and started fighting the blaze. Once the fire was out, the firefighters discovered several vehicles had been broken into and items were stolen, according to a county news release. Officials are also investigating a fire at a nearby residence they believe is linked to the courthouse blaze.

"While investigating the vehicle burglaries, additional information was developed implicating a potential suspect," the release stated. "The suspect was apprehended near Waco."

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/crime/2021/02/05/man-charged-cross-county-pursuit-suspect-mason-fires/4407676001/

[marble falls]

1. Burning his uncle's house just before he burned the courthouse made it a little easier.

[callous taoboy]

2. That was such a beautiful courthouse.

I used to take day trips up to Mason and pick around a great old junk shop across the street from the courthouse. I now wish I had gone inside.

[Karadeniz]

3. It's a really sad sight! The building was insured and they had started using a grant to upgrade the

Interior, so the papers, computers had already been moved out. The person arrested had been fostered while in high school, but it didn't help him. Apparently, he was quite the drug addict. The live stream he did, apparently at 100 mph while being chased by the law, sounded like someone hyped up on drugs. He also broke into a restaurant. Someone was inside and the arsonist hurt him.

[Paladin]

4. Damn shame. Mason is a lovely Hill Country town. (nt)

[TexasTowelie]

5. One of my neighbors from when I was a child came from Mason.

She told me that she was among the people that voted in 1920 after women won the right to vote. Mason County is also the only county in the state where they have found topaz, the state gem.

[Paladin]

6. Wish I'd known about the topaz; would have looked for some. (nt)