A fire extinguisher found damaged at a historic courthouse led law enforcement to arrest a Morganton man in his role of being caught in the act. On Feb. 2, officers with the Morganton Department of Public Safety were dispatched to the Historic Burke County Courthouse on East Union Street for a vandalism call. Upon arrival, they allegedly located 27-year-old Joshua Daniel Sanders, of Morganton, in the area.
Upon interviewing Sanders and reviewing surveillance footage, officers say they determined that Sanders had broken into and damaged a fire extinguisher housing unit. Sanders then proceeded to willfully misuse and discharge the extinguisher into the grounds of Courthouse Square.
Officers also determined the device had to be taken out of service due to the damage. Sanders was arrested and charged with molesting a fire extinguisher system. Sanders did not receive a bond due to North Carolina’s new pretrial integrity act, which requires judges, not magistrates, to set the conditions for pretrial release for certain violent offenders. His first court appearance is set for March 25.