From the big book of bad excuses, a Phoenix man caught lighting trash cans on fire told police he was just trying to keep warm.
The main problem with his excuse was that he dropped it on one of the hottest days of the year -- when temperatures hit 115 degrees.
According to court documents obtained by New Times, the Phoenix Fire Department responded on June 30 to multiple fire-engulfed trash cans at bus stops in Phoenix.
Eventually, police got the lead -- at the end of a trail of matches from one of the fires was a guy passed out under a "no trespassing" sign, near 28th Avenue and Van Buren.
That guy, 60-year-old Reynaldo Montijo, was shirtless, sitting in a wheelchair, and completely surrounded by matches on the ground, according to the documents.
A witness told police he saw Montijo -- the only one in the area -- standing next to the trash-can fire as he drove by. He drove by again for good measure and saw Montijo sitting in the wheelchair next to the fire.
Police were called about three different fires at bus stops on Van Buren, and all gave the description of the guy in the wheelchair.
The reporting officers asked Montijo why he started the fires, and he gave his brilliant response.
"He said he started it because he was cold," a probable-cause statement reads.
For good measure, the listed low temperature for that date was 91 degrees.
Montijo was booked into jail on a felony arson charge.
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