Radford charged with first-degree arson

FARMINGTON – A man who threw bombs into a Farmington residence has been arrested and charged with arson.

Stephen Radford, 20, of Park Hills, has been charged with first-degree arson. The charge carries a term of five to 15 years in prison.

Radford is being held in the St. Francois County Jail on $50,000 bond.

According to a probable cause statement, officers from the Farmington Police Department and firefighters from the Farmington Fire Department responded to 113 McCormick Drive in Farmington after someone threw “molotov cocktail” bombs through a window Tuesday night.

An occupant inside the home said the bombs caused a television and a small mattress to catch fire. The fire was put out with the assistance of the fire department.

A fire investigator from the state’s fire marshal’s office was contacted to help determine what kind of flammable accelerant was inside the two baby food jars.

An officer spoke with Radford, who then confessed to throwing one of the two bombs in the window. He said he knew there was at least one person inside the residence at the time.

No one was injured.

Farmington Police Chief Rick Baker said he believes the case involved drug activity. Police said they questioned the suspect because he was acting peculiar at the scene.