ROCK HILL — A Rock Hill man whose neighbor accused him of burning down his tent was arrested last week after police say he drunkenly declared his intentions to set fire to another tent.
Police have charged Michael Newton Bledsoe, 55, of 3300 Steen Circle, with breach of peace, according to a York County Sheriff’s report. By Sunday afternoon, he was still held at the York County Detention Center on a $262.50 bond.
According to police, Bledsoe had gone to a campsite near Neely Store Road and was being disorderly, disturbing his 46-year-old neighbor’s sleep. When police went to the area, they found Bledsoe screaming and yelling “for no reason,” the report states. He was “grossly intoxicated” and could barely talk.
He was able to tell police that he did burn down his neighbor’s tent and was going to burn down another one, according to the report. Police then arrested Bledsoe.
A day before, the same neighbor reported to police that Bledsoe went to his campsite and used a lighter to set his tent on fire, another York County Sheriff’s report states. The victim was able to put out the flames with his hands, and showed police a piece of plastic he said burned off the tent’s tarp and stuck to his hand.
Police looked at the tent and saw that part of the tarp had been burnt and the edges around the entrance, the report states. Bledsoe has not been charged with arson.
