Man Set Neighbor's House on Fire Because They Did Not Mow His Lawn, Police Say

An Iowa man has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to his neighbor's house because they had not mowed his lawn after he had asked them to the previous day.

Lee Bowman, 53, was arrested on Sunday following an incident on the same day in Sioux City, Iowa, and has since been charged with first-degree arson and second-degree criminal mischief.

According to a report by the Sioux City Police Department obtained by CBS Siouxland News, Bowman admitted that he was upset on Sunday that his neighbors had not yet cut his grass, after he had asked them to do so on Saturday. The authorities have not yet revealed why Bowman wanted his neighbors to mow his lawn.

The 53-year-old visited his neighbor's house on Sunday to ask why they had not cut his grass and was filmed on home surveillance footage attempting to take a registration sticker off one of their vehicles parked in the driveway.

The neighbors were alerted to the fire later in the day, when another local resident, who had called the authorities, banged on their door to inform them of the blaze. They managed to escape without any injuries.

The police and local fire department received a report of the blaze at around 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, and managed to put it out.

The corner of the house was burned in the fire with around $3,000 worth of damages estimated by police in the court documents.

The police department were told by Sioux City Fire and Rescue that the fire was intentionally started, as they found plywood and sticks propped up by the house alongside a fuel accelerant.

The 53-year-old is currently being held in the Woodbury County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

In nearby Ohio on Monday afternoon a man was arrested and accused of fatally shooting a woman in an apartment building, before stealing a car and setting a separate house on fire.

Neighbors told local media that they saw the man leave the burning house on Monday engulfed by the flames while shouting that he wanted to die. One of the neighbors tried to put the fire out.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office told Local 12 the man is in custody. They confirmed that his name is Brad Farmer but have not released the name of the murdered woman.

Newsweek has contacted the Sioux City Police Department and Sioux City Fire and Rescue for comment.