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Man With Torch and Samurai Sword Arrested in Jensen Beach Brush Fire Case

Swift reporting with favorable wind limited a brush fire during a county burn ban.

Overview

  • Deputies in Martin County arrested 22-year-old Morgan Grante Lentz after witnesses reported he used a lit torch to start brush fires near the Savannas Preserve in Jensen Beach.
  • The sheriff said Lentz carried a samurai-style sword, and investigators recovered about 1.5 gallons of gasoline stored in water jugs near a downtown bar.
  • Martin County Fire Rescue put out a roughly 40-yard burn area, and officials reported no injuries or threatened buildings.
  • Body-camera and bystander videos captured the surrender, the flames, and the arrest.
  • Sheriff John Budensiek warned the fires could have turned catastrophic during the burn ban, and he said the investigation into motive and circumstances continues.