"Bitter" Custody Dispute Leads To Man Torching Truck: Police

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- A Cartersville man has been charged with arson in connection to a vehicle fire on Stonehenge Drive.

Cartersville police have arrested Kristopher Lee Mathison, 37, and charged him with arson in the second degree, criminal trespassing and simple assault.

The arrest stems from a call of a vehicle fire the Cartersville Fire Department received around 3:31 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9 on Stonehenge Drive

Firefighters were able to contain the fire, and reached out the police department for assistance. Officers responded to the scene, and were told the fire was "intentionally set and was classified as an arson," the agency said.

The vehicle had also been vandalized with spray paint before it was doused in flames.

"While most of the paint had been burnt off, the images observed confirmed that the suspect had a personal issue with the owner of the vehicle," Cartersville police said.

An incident report released by the agency reports spray paint was used to paint "a phallus on the front hood as well as a word on the passenger side doors." Only the letter "K" was legible the report states.

Throughout the investigation, arson investigators and police detectives learned the owner of the vehicle was "engaged in a bitter custody issue with his wife resulting in the victim gaining custody of the children on the day of the fire."

Details in the case led to Kristopher Mathison and based on the evidence obtained throughout the investigation, Cartersville police say Mathison was "responsible" for setting the vehicle on fire.

Police also learned Mathison was the boyfriend of the wife involved in the dispute.

Mathison was arrested on Monday, Sept. 19, and Bartow County Jail records show he remains held without bond.

Cartersville police say more charges are expected to follow in the case.

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Image via Bartow County Jail