Man from Polk County Found Not Guilty after Setting His Own House on Fire

A man from Polk County will be committed to a mental health facility after being found not guilty of setting his house on fire.

Investigators say Andrew Sims set fire to his house on South 77 Road near Bolivar on December 19, 2022.

When authorities arrived, he was seen waving an “AK-47” style weapon around and yelling at people that were not there before yelling at first responders at the scene.

Polk County Sheriff’s deputies say Sims fired two shots, one in the air and the other in their direction, before fleeing the scene.

He was later seen at a neighbor’s home before fleeing into a wooded area, where he was later apprehended.

Sims told investigators that he intended to burn down the house after getting into an argument with his wife, which she corroborated.

On Wednesday, a Polk County judge found him not guilty of arson, domestic assault, and unlawful use of a weapon by reason of mental disease or defect.

Sims was ordered to be put in the state Department of Mental Health. No timetable on how long he will be committed has been released.