By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man accused of setting fire to a Perkins woman’s car at Highway 33 and Range Road has been ordered to appear in court on March 4 when he can seek a preliminary hearing on a third-degree arson charge.
If convicted of the felony, Sterling Ray Fye, 23, could be given as much as a 15-year prison term and a $10,000 fine. If convicted of a misdemeanor count of possessing marijuana, Fye could be given a one-year jail term and a $1,000 fine, court records show.
The car, which had been parked at the site for a couple of days, reportedly belonged to Fye’s ex-girlfriend, according to an affidavit by Payne County Sheriff’s Sgt. Don Howard.
Fye was arrested shortly before 1 am on Jan. 30, about two hours after Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Collin Seaton was dispatched to Highway 33 and Range Rd. on a vandalism call, the affidavit said.
A witness reported seeing “two people break a window on a small white sedan that had been parked there for a couple of days,” before leaving and returning, the affidavit alleged.
“I requested that Perkins Police Sgt. Spencer Gedon go and remain with the male individual where the vehicle was on fire,” Sgt. Howard wrote in his affidavit.
“Sgt. Gedon advised me that Sterling (Fye) had cuts on his hands, and when Sgt. Gedon was near the fire, he could see what appeared to be dead grass in the front seat of the vehicle. Sgt. Gedon also located a black container with a green leafy substance I knew to be marijuana, along with two small white papers, and a square white container containing a yellow hard wax substance, and a black butane lighter,” Sgt. Howard alleged in his affidavit.
“Sterling advised that he did have a medical marijuana card,” which Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Wheeler reported was expired, the affidavit alleged.
About midnight, “Sterling was evaluated by LifeNet, and he was released back to me. Sgt. Gedon advised me that he had asked Sterling if he was hurting anywhere, and he stated that he was ‘wasted and can’t feel anything,"” Sgt. Howard alleged in his affidavit.
“At the request of the State Fire Marshal, Sterling was asked if he knew whose vehicle it was; he stated that he did not and that he and (a relative) were there attempting to put out the fire,” the affidavit alleged. The defendant’s relative was not charged with arson, court records show.
The seized substances field-tested positive for marijuana, the affidavit alleged.
On the charge, 16 witnesses were listed for the prosecution including the Perkins Fire Department, two Perkins police officers, six members of the Payne County Sheriff’s Department, two members of the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s Office, a 911 operator, and an OSBI chemist.
