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2 more face arson charges after fires in Mecosta, Montcalm counties

Posted at 12:06 PM, Oct 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-05 12:06:34-04

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Two more people have been charged following a string of suspicious fires in Mecosta and Montcalm counties earlier this week.

The Daily News of Greenville reports 18-year-old Jacquelynn Harris of Morley and 20-year-old Derek Keeler of Sparta were arraigned Thursday in a Big Rapids courtroom on third-degree arson charges. The charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.

Thirty-two-year-old Theodore Cosnowski III of Howard City was arraigned Tuesday on three counts of third-degree arson.  He was charged as a fourth-time habitual offender and could face life in prison if convicted.

Court records didn’t indicate whether they had lawyers.

Crews responding Monday to a fire in Mecosta County’s Deerfield Township found several structures ablaze in the area. Another fire was reported in neighboring Montcalm County and they also allegedly tried to break into an occupied home.

There were no reports of injuries in the fires.

The Associated Press contributed to this report