Man accused of breaking into Fargo garage, setting fire to contents

FARGO – Police arrested a 41-year-old Fargo man after he allegedly broke into a garage and set fire to some of its contents.

Officers were called at 8:39 p.m. Monday to a suspicious fire in the parking lot of an apartment building in the 4100 block of 18th Avenue South.

A pile of clothing, tools, chairs and other items were on fire, Lt. Joel Vettel said. It appeared the suspect had broken into a garage and was setting fire to some of the contents, he said.

The suspect had left the scene by the time officers arrived, but they later found him at a nearby apartment, Vettel said.

Jade Dean Hemmes was arrested on suspicion of burglary and felony criminal mischief and taken to the Cass County Jail.

Vettel said it wasn’t clear whether Hemmes and the garage’s owner knew each other.

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