Twins arrested in CA, 1 for MI arson

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - A Kalamazoo man was arrested in a coastal county in California and now faces a felony arson charge for the August fire that destroyed a vacant Vicksburg paper mill.

Kevin Chapman, his twin brother Keith and another Michigan man named Joseph Swander were arrested in northern California, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department.

The arrest happened after Humboldt County Sheriff's deputies on patrol spotted a vehicle blocking Highway 29 near Willow Creek. They stopped to investigate and found Kevin Chapman's twin brother Keith asleep inside. Deputies said he smelled of alcohol and marijuana.

As the deputies were arresting the 21-year-old Keith Chapman for public intoxication, Kevin Chapman and Swander, 20, approached.

Deputies ran checks on both of them and found that Chapman was wanted in connection to the arson. They also found Swander was wanted on a manufacturing marijuana charge out of Kalamazoo County.

The Aug. 10 fire that destroyed the 40,000-square-foot building was ruled an arson after it was determined it had two origins.

The mill had housed the Fox River Paper Company, Simpson Paper Company and Lee Paper Company, but had been vacant for 11 years prior to the blaze, to which at least 10 departments responded.

An arrest warrant Kevin Champan was issued Sept. 19.

The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office is working to extradite Kevin Chapman and Swander back to Michigan. Both are being held in the Humboldt County jail without bail.

Keith Chapman, meanwhile, was arrested, booked into the Humboldt County jail and later released.