LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Robert Latta Butterfield III

A man was arrested and charged last week on Sanibel after authorities responded to reports of an attempted burglary and structure fire.

On Aug. 14 at about 10:30 p.m., the Sanibel Police Department received a 911 call about an individual attempting to break into an occupied unit on Buttonwood Lane. Officers were dispatched to the scene.

About the same time, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District received a call about a structure fire at 1223 Buttonwood Lane. While en route, they were notified by dispatch about a disturbance at the scene.

“Upon arrival, officers apprehended the injured suspect, who was then transported to the hospital for medical treatment,” the SPD reported in a prepared statement.

“There was one person taken to the hospital as a trauma alert,” SFD Deputy Fire Chief John DiMaria said, adding that the individual was transported by Lee County EMS for further treatment.

SANIBEL FIRE AND RESCUE DISTRICT On Aug. 14 at about 10:30 p.m., authorities responded to reports of a structure fire and an attempted burglary in the 1200 block of Buttonwood Lane on Sanibel.

The SPD turned over the investigation to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Robert Latta Butterfield III, 40, of 362 Periwinkle Way, Apt. 2, was charged with one count each of damage property criminal mischief $1,000 or more and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling unarmed, according to reports from the LCSO. As of Aug. 16, he remained in the Lee County Jail on no bond.

According to DiMaria, fire crews arrived on scene and found a tiki hut that was fully engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to parts of a wooden fence directly adjacent to the structure.

“The crews quickly and efficiently put out the fire,” he said, adding that they prevented further damage to the surrounding area. “They got it knocked down and controlled, probably, within 10 minutes.”

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District, Iona McGregor Fire Protection and Rescue District and Lee County Public Safety assisted with the fire. In addition, the Lee County Arson Task Force and State Fire Marshals Office were called to assist with the investigation because of the incident’s nature.

SANIBEL FIRE AND RESCUE DISTRICT On Aug. 14 at about 10:30 p.m., authorities responded to reports of a structure fire and an attempted burglary in the 1200 block of Buttonwood Lane on Sanibel.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” DiMaria said on Aug. 16. “It is still unknown and undetermined.”

According to the LCSO reports, the SPD officers who responded to the scene were told upon their arrival that the large thatch roof tiki hut was purposefully set on fire by the suspect, Butterfield.

The LCSO detective walked around the scene and noticed a trail of clothing directly across from the home, which led from Butterfield’s front door to his driveway. After walking around the house, it appeared as though Butterfield had left his home, “removed his clothing, walked through a thin treeline separating the rental property, and began banging on the back door,” according to the reports.

It is unknown what Butterfield used to break a window, but a round paver stone was located near the backdoor that had been moved from its original placement and was sitting on top of another stone.

The detective reported that a significant amount of blood was located on the wooden deck by the broken back door. A blood trail was observed from the back door onto the white shell driveway and on the side of wood banisters, where it appeared Butterfield had been stumbling.

“The blood trail then followed to the other side of the home and up the stairs to the front door,” according to the reports. “One of the porch chairs had a blood smear on it, was out of place and was believed to have been used to break the glass of the front door.”

The tiki hut was about 15 feet away from the back door.

The detective spoke to the two victims, who were visiting from France and had rented the unit as a vacation rental. The man and woman confirmed that neither of them knew Butterfield or how the fire started, but they believed that it was started by him as he was the only individual outside at the time.

The detective also spoke to Shauna Frink, property manager of the unit. She said she received a call about the incident, which prompted her to drive to the rental home. Frink was at the unit on the morning of Aug. 14 and confirmed everything was in place and there was no damage to the building.

She did not know the cost of the damages, but estimated them to be over $1,000.

According to the reports, the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations took samples of the burn area. Based on observations, the investigator believed that it “was arson pending a complete investigation.”

Butterfield has a hearing date set for Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m.