A western Iowa teen faces numerous arson charges. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report 19-year old Coty William Cates, of Missouri Valley, was arrested April 16th on three counts of Arson in the 2nd Degree. The charges stem from an investigation into three separate fires set to a vacant residence located at 1003 Granite Street, Missouri Valley.Cates was being held in the Missouri Valley Jail.

Officials say the first fire occurred at approximately 1:12-a.m.on October 4, 2014. The second fire occurred at approximately 3:24-p.m., on October 9, 2014. The third fire occurred at approximately 9:57-p.m., on October 10, 2014. The combination of the three fires caused extensive damage to the home.

The Missouri Valley Police Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate several other possible arson fires that have occurred in the Missouri Valley area over the past two years. They include:

• An explosion at a vacant house that occurred east of Missouri Valley at 2279 Hwy 30 on October 27, 2013.
• Numerous large hay bales set on fire in several locations outside of Missouri Valley on October 31, 2014.
• A vacant house fire located at 105 West Superior, Missouri Valley on March 7, 2015.

Anyone with information about those is asked to call the Missouri Valley Police Department at (712) 642-2736, DPS’ State Fire Marshal Division at (712) 308-3977, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office at (712) 644-2244, or the Arson Hotline at (800) 532-1459:

A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction from the Iowa Arson Reward Fund.