Just before 10 a.m. Friday, Walton County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Smith Road in DeFuniak Springs following a report of a structure fire, a Walton County Sheriff’s Office news release said.
A Liberty Volunteer Firefighter arrived first, leaving his personal vehicle running while he got out to evaluate the fire, it said.
A man covered in blood ran from the residence, stole the volunteer firefighter’s vehicle and fled. The suspect, later identified as William Larrick II, 38, was located on Royale Street in the DeFuniak Springs city limits and taken into custody, according to the news release.
The home on Smith Road was found to have suspicious materials inside. The State Fire Marshal’s Office arrived and requested a bomb squad responded. A bomb squad found what were described as “fake explosives” inside the residence, the Sheriff’s Office said.