Effingham County Deputies Arrest Suspect In Arson

Effingham County, GA
Effingham County Sheriff’s Deputies say they’ve arrested a man they believe attempted to set a house of fire late Monday night.  Around 11:00 pm, deputies were called to the 1200 block of Highway 30 on a report of a fire.  Firefighters and deputies on the scene quickly determined the fire was deliberately set. Investigators obtained a suspect description by witnesses in the area and located evidence including a gas can believed to have been used in the arson.
At approximately 1:15 am, deputies located their suspect, 19 year old Ronald Lee Smith of Guyton, hiding in a vehicle near Middleton Drive. Smith was taken into custody and charged with arson in the first degree.  The home sustained some fire damage around the back steps and porch area.  Smith is currently being held in the Effingham County Jail.