Gleason man charged with arson



A Gleason man is facing his second accusation of arson after an investigation by the Bradford Police Department led to the issue of a criminal warrant against him earlier this week.
James Bruce, Jr., 27, of Gleason was served with a warrant Wednesday while in Weakley County General Sessions Court for a domestic violence charge.
According to a press release issued by the BPD, Bruce is accused of setting fire to the house where his estranged girlfriend, 25-year-old Kellie Hannah and her children, lived in Bradford on May 10.
No one was home at the time of the fire and Bradford firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze within an hour.
The interior of the home was destroyed, while the exterior remained intact, according to the release. Estimated damage to the home was $40,000.
According to the affidavit, unspecified evidence and witness statements collected by the BPD and state arson investigators linked Bruce to the May 10 fire.
Bruce was indicted on another arson charge in 2001.
He pleaded guilty to a Class C felony count of arson and was sentenced to three years with the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He was ordered to serve 30 percent of his three-year sentence.
As of press time, Bruce was housed at the Weakley County Detention Center for an unrelated domestic violence charge.
Bruce will be handed over to Gibson County authorities pending the outcome of his domestic violence charge in Weakley County.
WCP 6.18.09