American English teacher allegedly sets fire to bar, caught drinking and driving motorcycle

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/23
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A homeless American English teacher allegedly set fire to a bar in a campground in southern Taiwan on Friday (Sept. 20) and was arrested today (Sept. 23) for driving a motorcycle while under the influence of alcohol.

After engaging in a dispute with the owner of a campground in Pingtung County, the suspect identified as Harris allegedly set fire to a small bar on the premises on Friday night. After fleeing the scene of the crime and confessing to it on Facebook, he was stopped by police this afternoon for driving erratically on a motorcycle.

Acquaintances say that Harris, who lists his hometown as Vero Beach, Florida, had lost his job at an English cram school in Tainan City and moved into a rental hut on the three-acre Rock Garden camping area in Pingtung County's Manzhou Township. On Sept. 17, the owner of the campground evicted the former lecturer at Southern Taiwan University of Technology from the property, apparently causing him to become highly agitated.

Harris left a long, ranting manifesto on Sept 17 on his Facebook page giving his side of the story of the eviction. He claimed that the owner of the campground had allowed him to pay his rent by working for him for 30 hours a week.    [FULL  STORY]