Lafayette County deputies arrested Alexander Everett Kent, 27, of Oxford after investigators say he set two separate fires Monday night and early Tuesday morning, Feb. 2-3, 2026.
At approximately 8:55 p.m. Monday, Lafayette County E-911 received a report of a barn and vehicle on fire at a residence in the county. Deputies and Lafayette County Fire Department personnel responded and investigators determined Kent drove a vehicle into a detached shop at his parents’ residence and intentionally set fire to both the vehicle and the shop before fleeing the scene.
While firefighters were still on scene, a deputy observed a second residence on fire at about 10:21 p.m. That fire originated from a vehicle inside an attached garage. Four occupants were assisted out of the home and were not injured, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies and investigators conducted an overnight search. LCSO K-9 Louc tracked the suspect to a specific area, and the Oxford Police Department assisted by deploying a drone. Kent was located and apprehended by LCSO deputies at about 7 a.m. Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said.
Sheriff East said he was extremely proud of how multiple agencies worked together to apprehend Kent safely and without further harm to property and thanked the Lafayette County Fire Department, Oxford Police Department and Baptist Ambulance Service for their assistance. Kent is being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center awaiting his initial court appearance and has been charged with two counts of arson and one count of felony malicious mischief. Officials said no further information will be released at this time. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
