A McIntosh County man was arrested recently after allegedly setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s clothing in the backyard of a home in Longtown, authorities said.
The Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of arson late last Tuesday night, July 1, at a residence on East Indian Lane. According to the deputy’s report, the victim had learned that her ex-boyfriend, Billy Mitchell, was burning her belongings.
A member of Mitchell’s family told deputies she arrived at the home to allegedly find a pile of the victim’s clothing on fire in the backyard. The family member said Mitchell was attempting to extinguish the fire with a garden hose before fleeing the scene. She said she did not know where he had gone and moved some of the victim’s remaining belongings inside to return to her later.
Deputies documented the scene and took photographs of partially burned clothing and ashes. The total value of the damaged property has not yet been determined, pending a full inventory by the victim.
Later that night, a deputy met the victim at a truck stop in Eufaula, where she was accompanied by her mother and two domestic violence advocates from the Choctaw Nation. The victim said Mitchell had contacted her repeatedly by phone and FaceTime, during which he allegedly threatened to burn her belongings and showed her a pile of clothes and a torch lighter.
According to an affidavit, the victim’s mother recorded a 40-minute video of the FaceTime call, which authorities are attempting to download for evidence.
Mitchell is currently being held over on a $50,000 bond and is being charged with arson in the third-degree.