Authorities say a Demorest man called 911 after setting fire to his garage apartment, then later admitted to investigators he did it.
Officials arrested 22-year-old Logan Joel Michael on Jan. 22 and charged him with first-degree arson. The State Fire Marshal’s Office says Michael admitted setting fire at 2299 Double Bridge Road.
E-911 dispatched units from Habersham County, Demorest, and Lee Arrendale fire departments to the scene shortly before midnight Tuesday (Jan. 21). When firefighters arrived, they found a small fire in an apartment that sits above the garage. Before it was extinguished, the fire caused moderate damage to the interior of the apartment.
Local fire officials determined the fire was suspicious and asked the State Fire Marshal’s Office to help investigate. During their investigation, they say Michael admitted to setting it.
Fire and law enforcement personnel from Habersham County and Demorest assisted with the investigation. Safety Fire Commissioner John King thanked them for their help in solving the case.
“It is always nice to have a suspect in custody virtually the same night after a fire is ruled arson,” said King in a news release. “Of course, this would not have been possible without multiple agencies coming together for one common goal: finding the arsonist.”
Michael was booked into the Habersham County jail and is awaiting a bond hearing. He is the ninth individual to be arrested with the assistance of the State’s Fire Investigations Unit so far this year.
First Degree Arson is a felony punishable by a fine of no more than $50,000 or by a prison term between one and twenty years, or both.
