Jeff Atwater: Two Lake Butler Men Charged with Arson

Two Lake Butler men were charged this week with intentionally setting three fires in Union County last year, Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater announced.

The men were charged after one was charged with an unrelated armed robbery by the Union County Sheriffs Office and confessed to the fires, according to Atwaters office.

The State Fire Marshals Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations had been looking into the November fires with the sheriffs office and the Lake Butler Volunteer Fire Department.

Arson terrorizes communities and puts innocent lives in harms way, Atwater stated in a release. I applaud the work of the arson investigators in my State Fire Marshals Office, the Union County Sheriff's Office, and the Lake Butler Volunteer Fire Department for putting a stop to this string of crimes.

Davario Watkins has been charged with three counts of first-degree arson, armed robbery, two counts of petty theft, aggravated battery, armed burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted on all charges, Watkins could face up to 171 years in prison.

Michael Stitt has been charged with first-degree arson, armed robbery, two counts of petty theft and armed burglary. If convicted on all charges, Stitt could face up to 91 years in prison.