TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Tallahassee man was arrested last weekend after he admitted to setting fire to a Florida Gators car window flag, saying he's a fan of the Miami Hurricanes.
Iran Walters, 44, faces charges of second-degree arson and burglary of an occupied conveyance.
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Tallahassee police said the owner was walking to her Nissan Maxima when she saw Walters lighting the flag on fire, so she screamed at him, scaring him away.
The owner gave police a description of the man, later identified as Walters.
When police caught up to him, Walters said he wanted to give "his side of the story."
According to an arrest report, Walters told police he set fire to the flag because he roots for the Hurricanes and doesn't "give a dam (sic) about the Gators."
The woman used a cup of water to put out the fire, which left scorch marks and burnt plastic on the passenger side of her car and window. She told police she was "100% sure" Walters was the man who set her flag on fire.
Police said they also found marijuana in Walters' pocket. He also faces a charge of marijuana possession.
The Gators and Hurricanes were annual rivals from 1944 to 1987. The rivalry has been played intermittently since, with Miami winning the last meeting in 2013. Both teams are scheduled to play again in the 2019 season opener in Orlando.