Man accused of lighting crane on fire arrested for breaking and entering while out on bond
James McPherson
Courtesy of Washtenaw County Jail
The 30-year-old Ypsilanti man charged with arson after police said he set a construction crane on fire was arrested for breaking into an apartment complex three days after being freed on bond, police said.
James Henry McPherson has been arraigned on one count of breaking and entry, illegal entry, and is now being held at the Washtenaw County Jail on a $25,000 bond, jail records show.
Police said they found McPherson hiding in a closet in the offices of Paschall Apartments, located at 15 Johnson St., while responding to a break-in at 11:30 p.m. Monday night. A neighbor had heard glass breaking and called 911.
McPherson was arrested and taken to jail, where three days earlier he was arraigned via video in the 14A-1 District Court on two counts of arson and one count of property damage after police said he lit a crane on fire.
The crane, which officials said cost around $1 million brand new, was being used to rebuild the Ford Boulevard bridge in Ypsilanti Township. McPherson is accused of sneaking onto the construction site and somehow popping open the fuel compartment on the crane and setting it ablaze.
He is also accused of slashing several tires at the site. For that incident, McPherson is charged with arson, third-degree arson of property more than $20,000 and malicious destruction of property between $1,000 and $20,000.
Magistrate Elisha Fink gave McPherson a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, thus setting him free, when he was arraigned on those charges Friday.
During that arraignment, McPherson admitted substance abuse issues.
"I'm in between jobs right now," he said Friday. "I don't have money for an attorney. I'm struggling with drugs and alcohol."
Police said McPherson was highly intoxicated when arrested soon after firefighters extinguished the burning 20-foot tall construction crane.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
jns131
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 5:01 a.m.
The way the head line read, I thought he set a bird on fire. I thought wow. How did he do that. Now I get it. Wow. That is a lot of damage.
IVote
Fri, Aug 23, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
For him and his family's sake, I hope he gets help. But even if you know "the system" and have worked in it, it is virtually impossible to get help. You can't even get section 8 housing unless you have kids. Getting someone into inpatient treatment is a joke. I don't know what I would be doing if you took away my family, my comfortable home, my car and anything else I love. I probably would be a drug addict or alcoholic too! I can't imagine I would burn a crane or vandalize people's property, but I would definitely need drugs if I couldn't get help.
In doubt
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 6:41 p.m.
Prayers for his family and the pain that they have been through with him.
RN217
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 5:57 p.m.
Neighbor caught a guy who happens to look strikingly similar to this gentleman opening the door to my vehicle after hearing someone try to open his front door in the middle of the night. This was a little over a week ago.
Greg
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:52 p.m.
nickcarraweigh - How would we know if he has been caught "every time". All we know for sure is he is a danger to society and belongs in prison. Hopefully he will use the time and get some treatment, but you can't force people to want to change.
An Arborigine
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.
And the hits just keep on coming
WalkingJoe
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 12:14 p.m.
I get some peoples comments about maybe this guy is somehow crying out for help but at the same time how many drug and alcohol addicts get committed for treatment and then are right back at it once they get out? What about personal responsibility?
actionjackson
Fri, Aug 23, 2013 : 11:38 a.m.
There is no personal responsibility when the frontal lobe is so affected by drugs and alcohol. The ability to care and reason is gone. The only way this will come out positively is for the addict to make the decision that enough is enough.
PineyWoodsGuy
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 2:46 a.m.
The problem that most readers have is that they think like a rational person. A person who has been "institutionalized" (i.e. locked up) for substantial periods of time and whose brain has been pickled by alcohol and drugs does not think in a rational manner, but for the means to get back into an institution. This dude wants to go back to prison. It is readily apparent. The longer the better. The American cultural ethic is that "We can fix anything." We can't. Anyone agree with me?
PineyWoodsGuy
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 3:56 a.m.
@ Basic Bob: Then dude Give Me A Thumbs Up on my post! Geeze!
matt1027
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 3:56 a.m.
Lets give him what he wants then. Won't be missed.
Basic Bob
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 2:54 a.m.
I think you're on the right track. The drug use and uncontrolled urge to be sent to prison are likely to be a symptom rather than the problem.
Homeland Conspiracy
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:54 a.m.
Ding ding ding!!! We have a winner....well kind of
genetracy
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:45 a.m.
Who posted his original 5K bond? I thought the guy was "homeless".
genetracy
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 2:46 p.m.
I guess that made the terms of the bond even more ridiculous.
John Counts
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:08 p.m.
It's a personal recognizance bond, which means nothing had to be posted. The $5,000 is what he would have had to pay for not showing up at his next court date.
Ignatz
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 11:25 a.m.
He won the Model Citizen Award. $5K.
genetracy
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 4:52 a.m.
If the family posted the bond, then I hope they lose every penny.
Basic Bob
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 2:55 a.m.
Some people are loved dearly, but still unwelcome in their family's homes.
Chase Ingersoll
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:32 a.m.
Maybe he wanted to be in jail. Maybe he knows that is the only way he can stop the drugs and alcohol. This is a classic combination of substance abuse and mental illness, where the person is telling the court, please commit me, send me to rehab, keep me in jail, but please don't put me back out there, where I know I am going to end up hurting myself or someone else. He has admitted the problem in open court, his actions reflect insanity, but he gets a PR Bond. I sincerely congratulate him. He made a complete effort, to not only showed up on the PR, but showed up early. This guy wants and deserves help.
Chase Ingersoll
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:01 p.m.
Hey - my argument is that had the court not failed to incarcerate him as he was asking for, there would not have been a second victim.
matt1027
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:38 a.m.
NO, the person who deserves help is the victim of his crime who had extremely expensive property burnt by a degenerate. His drug problem is his fault, not society's. Apologists like yourself are a major part of the problem.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:23 a.m.
At first reading of the headline I thought this was yet another attack on the area's waterfowl.
Amy Biolchini
Wed, Aug 21, 2013 : 11:40 p.m.
Thanks for following up on this guy, John. I hope he's able to connect with the services he needs to confront his drug and alcohol problems while in jail.
Milton Shift
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 4:16 p.m.
Yeah, this guy clearly needs help. "In between jobs" translates to "desperate" and "no direction," hence this last incident.
Jack Gladney
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:08 p.m.
That's my hope as well; that and a solution to the crisis in Syria. Those are my hopes. Intoxicated Flaming Crane Man and Syria.
nickcarraweigh
Wed, Aug 21, 2013 : 10:21 p.m.
I don't think it counts toward crime wave status as long as he keeps getting caught every time. It has been every time?
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Aug 21, 2013 : 9:18 p.m.
Here's hoping the third time is not the charm.
TheDiagSquirrel
Wed, Aug 21, 2013 : 9:17 p.m.
He destroyed over $1 million worth of property and got let out on a PR bond? Great job, Ms. Fink.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:47 p.m.
what point did i miss? TDS says he detroyed a million dollars worth of property, all I'm saying is we do not know that from the information given. Cranes, like all equipment depreciate in value over time.
matt1027
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 1:41 a.m.
You don't offend, you just miss the point.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Aug 22, 2013 : 12:11 a.m.
The story says the crane "cost around $1 million brand new...' but doesn't say how old it was. Maybe the current value was much less. Now lets see if i offended Ann Arbor.com again...5...4...3...2...1