An Idaho man will face arson and property damage charges in connection to a pair of car fires and a rash of vandalism that occurred early Tuesday in downtown Casper, police said Wednesday.

Thomas Joe Avila, 24, has been in police custody since shortly after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, when officers responded to reports of a car on fire behind the KTWO-AM radio building on Nichols Avenue and a second car in flames on the 300 block of West BC Street. Police say a police dog found Avila in the fetal position in some high weeds near the scene of the second fire.

In addition to the car fires, police found that someone had damaged several nearby businesses.

Avila was initially charged with public intoxication and property destruction, but authorities planned to add first-degree arson charges, said Casper police detective Terry Jackson. Police are still investigating exactly how the cars were set on fire.

Jackson said police hadn't discovered a possible motive for the fires and vandalism.

Avila told police he and some coworkers had gone to the Sandbar Lounge for food and drinks on Monday evening, according to an affidavit signed by Jackson. They went to Sidelines Sports Bar, and after that, Avila said he didn't remember anything else until he was in a police car.

Avila's coworkers told police that after the group had returned to the Sandbar, Avila had gotten upset, apparently because some people had teased him, according to an affidavit.

Reach Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.