Marion charged with allegedly setting fire behind Save-A-Lot

An area man faces felony charges this week after authorities say he intentionally set fire to bales of cardboard behind a Park Hills grocery store.

Gene Harley Marion, 37, of Park Hills, was charged in St. Francois County Friday with knowingly burning or exploding, resisting arrest for a felony, and first-degree property damage.

According to a probable cause statement from the Park Hills Police Department, Marion knowingly set fire to several bales of cardboard located at Save-A-Lot in Park Hills on Friday.

Police said the fire quickly spread to a stack of wooden pallets and some plastic milk crates, causing hundreds of dollars in damages.

Park Hills Fire Chief Brad Weiss said the only damage at 110 Strauss Dr. Friday morning after a fire was started in the back of the building were pallets and cardboard boxes. According to Weiss, the fire started in the back of Save-A-Lot where the cardboard and pallets are located. Fire departments called out to help Park Hills included Big River/Bonne Terre, Desloge, Farmington, Leadington, and Leadwood. 

Officers later went to a house on Field Street in Park Hills looking for Marion. The report states that when authorities approached the back side of the residence, an officer saw Marion trying to flee the area.

The officers reportedly yelled verbal commands for Marion to stop running and chased the man behind the house. Police eventually stopped Marion at the front of the home, where he began actively resisting arrest, according to the report.

Marion reportedly had an active felony warrant out of Jefferson County at the time of his arrest and was transported to the St. Francois County Detention Center. After waiving his Miranda rights, the report states Marion agreed to speak with investigators and admitted to setting the fire at Save-A-Lot.

The man remains in custody at the county jails with a $50,000 bond set in the newly filed case. If released on bail, he is ordered to comply with pretrial monitoring and is prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition, or any other dangerous weapons.

A search of Marion’s criminal history showed he has previous misdemeanor convictions in St. Francois County for domestic arrest and resisting arrest.

Marion made an initial appearance in court on Tuesday and is due back for a confined docket hearing on Nov. 15.

Gene Harley Marion

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com