Staff Report

James Robert Roder

WARSAW — A Warsaw man was arrested for allegedly setting a trash can in a store on fire.

James Robert Roder, 38, 27 EMS B59 Lane, Warsaw, is charged with arson and resisting law enforcement with a risk of bodily injury, both level 6 felonies; and resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor.

On June 12, Warsaw Police officers went to Aldi to assist with a fire call. Upon entering the store, officers saw black smoke coming from the top of the men’s bathroom door. A man, later identified as Roder, was lying near the bathroom.

According to court documents, Roder was lying on a sweatshirt with char marks on it. When he was told to put his hands behind his back, Roder pulled away from officers. Roder continued to resist arrest and attempted to stop officers from handcuffing him.

Upon searching Roder’s person, officers found two lighters. A large trashcan in the men’s bathroom was also burned and melted.

A store employee said she smelled something burning. When she knocked on the men’s restroom door, an individual in the bathroom started to say there was a fire in the trash can and he couldn’t get out because the door was locked.

While being taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation, Roder made a comment about paying attention to “it” and about “it” smoking.

Surveillance footage from the store showed Roder entering and exiting the bathroom before the smoke was visible from the door.

Damages to the Aldi store caused by the fire are estimated at $3,290.99.

Roder has two or more prior unrelated convictions for resisting law enforcement.

Roder was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on June 12.