WILDWOOD, Mo. — A man started a fire in a local hotel room, despite St. Louis police being on the other side of the door and other guests and staff still in the building.
Matthew Hrebec, Jr., 30, of Crocker, Missouri, was charged with arson. He is being held on $150,000 cash only bond.
On the morning of February 14, 2024, officers from the St. Louis County Police Department responded to a call for service at the Wildwood Hotel. Officers arrived and spoke with Hrebec through a hotel door. He was agitated and did not believe that the officers were real law enforcement officers.
He then used a lighter to set his clothing and a seat cushion on fire underneath the window of his room. Hrebec admitted to starting the fire after he was arrested.
