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Man Charged With Arson For Allegedly Lighting Car On Fire Outside State Capitol

Anna Rader

A man who allegedly lit his car on fire outside the State Capitol building in Cheyenne has been arrested and charged with third-degree arson.Wyoming Highway Patrol and local law enforcement responded to a report Saturday morning, Jan. 2, that someone had driven onto the curb by the State Capitol and lit their car on fire.

The suspect, a 42-year-old Cheyenne resident named Thomas Fwei, has a preliminary hearing set for Jan. 13, but law enforcement has yet to identify a motive.

The incident in Cheyenne comes one week after a car explosion in downtown Nashville, killing the bomber and injuring three others. No one was injured during the Cheyenne incident, but Wyoming Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeremy Beck said the Nashville car bombing is fresh on everyone's mind.

"This is something that all law enforcement will take very seriously," Beck said. "Definitely going to look into how mentally stable was the driver, but that will be ultimately decided by other individuals."

Under state law, he faces the possibility of up to five years in prison, a $5000 fine, or both.

Jeff is a part-time reporter for Wyoming Public Media, as well as the owner and editor of the Laramie Reporter, a free online news source providing in-depth and investigative coverage of local events and trends.
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