December 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
A 50 year old Smithville man has been charged with arson and vandalism.
Royce Avon Foster is scheduled for a court appearance on February 18. Bond for Foster was set at $60,000 on these charges but his bond in a previous vandalism case has been revoked so he remains in jail.
According to Detective Brandon Donnell of the Smithville Police Department, a witness saw Foster break eight windows out of a camper parked at the former location of the Regions Bank Drive-Thru at 509 South Mountain Street before setting fire to a nearby trash can which spread to the camper. Due to the vandalism and arson, the camper sustained more than $5,000 in damage. Although the blaze came close to a propane tank on the camper members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department who were summoned to the scene got the fire under control before it reached the tank.
The incident occurred Wednesday, December 9 at 8:30 a.m.