MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa — On Thursday, April 16, 2015, Agents with the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) State Fire Marshal Division (SFM) and Missouri Valley Police Department arrested Coty William Cates, 19, of Missouri Valley, and charged him with three (3) counts of Arson in the Second Degree.
These charges stem from three separate fires set to a vacant residence located at 1003 Granite Street, Missouri Valley. The first fire occurred at approximately 1:12 AM on October 4, 2014. The second fire occurred at approximately 3:24 PM, on October 9, 2014. The third fire occurred at approximately 9:57 PM, on October 10, 2014. The combination of the three fires caused extensive damage to the home.
The Missouri Valley Police Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate several other possible arson fires that have occurred in the Missouri Valley area over the past two years.
Anyone with information about the following fires reported in the Missouri Valley area are asked to call the Missouri Valley Police Department:
A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction from the Iowa Arson Reward Fund.
Coty Cates is currently being held at the Harrison County Jail.
