Hunter
09/03/21
An Iowa City man who was arrested a little over a week ago for ripping up a downtown restaurant’s outdoor planter is now charged with arson from an incident in early August.
According to police reports, a worker at the Pullman Diner on South Dubuque Street found damage to their patio umbrella at 1 am August 6th. It reportedly had been lit on fire and will cost about $3000 to replace.
The worker heard that an employee at a nearby business witnessed the event. Officers contacted that witness, who stated that he and three of his friends were downtown the night before and saw 27-year-old Duquan Miles on Pullman’s patio. The man recognized Miles from previous downtown incidents of alleged criminal mischief.
The man alleges that Miles was lighting napkins and attempting to set the dining tables on fire. When that didn’t work, Miles reportedly lit the patio umbrella on fire. The umbrella is located only a few feet from businesses with apartments above. The man put the fire out with his hand, causing a burn, while allegedly being yelled at by Miles to stop trying to extinguish the fire.
Later that morning, the owner of Get Fresh Café contacted police and said someone ripped up their outdoor planter. A check of surveillance video reportedly pointed to Miles being the one who caused the damage.
A warrant was issued for Miles’ arrest, and he was booked at the Johnson County Jail Thursday afternoon. He faces charges of first degree Arson and 2nd degree Criminal Mischief. If convicted on both counts, Miles could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
He already faces charges of 4th degree Criminal mischief for the Get Fresh Café incident. A check of court records shows dozens of misdemeanor incidents involving Miles over the past several years.