Man found competent to stand trial in arson

DUCHESNE — A Duchesne County man accused of setting fire to his family's home following a domestic dispute has been found competent to stand trial.

David Wayne Ames of Ioka, is charged in 8th District Court with aggravated arson, disarming a peace officer, interfering with a legal arrest and two counts of assaulting a police officer.

According to court documents, Ames, 37, is accused of barricading the doors of his family's trailer home on April 20 after a verbal dispute with his wife, and then using gasoline to set the home on fire.

Duchesne County sheriff's deputies responding to the fire found Ames walking down a nearby road and stopped him. The deputies said Ames resisted arrest and attempted to take a deputy's gun.

One deputy suffered a broken finger in the scuffle, and officers used a Taser on Ames twice before he was taken into custody, said Duchesne County Sheriff's Lt. Travis Tucker.

Ames' family said he has a history of mental illness that has been made worse by illegal drug use.

A judge ordered Ames to undergo a competency evaluation in May and received the results Thursday. Court records show both evaluators determined Ames could assist his attorney with his defense and understood the charges against him.

— Geoff Liesik