An Oberlin man has been booked with arson, accused of setting 10 fires in wooded areas near his hometown.
An Allen Parish Sheriff's detective and investigators with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Forestry Enforcement Division arrested 67-year-old Bradley Montou and booked him with 10 counts of simple arson.
LDAF fire crews responded to multiple arson fires along LA Highway 26 and in wooded areas west of Oberlin on September 15. There were three fires along LA Highway 26 and seven in wooded areas near Highway 26, totaling 10 fires altogether.
Witnesses reported seeing a man walking along the roadway where several small fires had been set. The suspect, identified as Bradley Montou, was later observed entering a wooded area and setting additional fires, a release states.
Montou was booked into the Allen Parish Jail on ten counts of simple arson. His bond is set at $75,000.
“Thanks to the quick actions of LDAF fire crew personnel, LDAF aircraft, and investigators from both LDAF and local agencies, the fires were kept to minimal sizes, and the suspect was apprehended quickly,” says LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM.
The public is urged to report any and all forestry-related crimes to the LDAF 24-hr hotline at 1-855-452-5323.
