A Marshall man serving a sentence at the Ozark Correction Center now faces charges in connection with the January 2024 fire that occurred at the Saline County Jail.

A probable cause statement released Friday, June 12 alleges that 40-year-old Jonnie Jaye Grimes started a fire in the work release pod of the jail the morning of Jan. 2, 2024. Sheriff’s deputies say that surveillance footage showed Grimes in a corner of the pod with a bucket. Deputies go on to note that about 30 minutes later, a yellow flicker appeared on the wall in that corner, followed by flames emerging from the same area, and then thick smoke enveloping the pod. They then noted that the video footage showed Grimes leaving the area carrying belongings in the bucket.

Grimes was then located with other inmates in a Sally Port awaiting transfer to other jails, and according to deputies he was the only one carrying belongings. Deputies then said that a lighter was found on Grimes when he was searched upon arrival at a neighboring county’s jail. The statement notes that a total of 70 people were in the Saline County Jail at the time of the fire, including 54 inmates.

Grimes had been in the jail awaiting sentencing after he pleaded guilty in November 2023 to tampering with an electronic monitoring device. He admitted in court in 2013 to charges of domestic assault, felonious restraint, and witness tampering. His new charges include first-degree arson, first-degree property damage, and possession of a weapon at a county jail. Prosecutors are requesting that Grimes appear via video conference from state prison for his initial hearing later this month.