Joseph R. Wharton, 41, is being held at Sierra County Detention Center this morning, facing 10 charges including arson, aggravated assault, resisting or evading arrest and other counts, after leading State Police on a back-and-forth chase on Interstate 25 between TorC and Caballo, State Police Lt. Juan Martinez told ABQNews Seeker.

Wharton is accused of entering Martin Motors, a TorC wrecking company, around 5:30 p.m. Monday, brandishing an aerosol can and cigarette lighter and threatening to burn the place down, Martinez said.

The employees apparently fled and Wharton found himself holed up in the business overnight as a State Police TAC team set up a perimeter and tried to communicate with him, Martinez said.

Then, around 3:30 a.m. today, Wharton set fire to the business and fled in a wrecker truck, led police west on Broadway in TorC, then south on I-25 to N.M. 152 near Caballo, said Martinez.

The driver went a ways west on N.M. 152, then made a U-turn and headed back to I-25, where he headed back north to TorC, where he went back on Broadway and lost control of the vehicle and crashed into Bullock's Market around 4 a.m., according to Martinez.

Wharton was arrested inside the grocery store.

Martinez said the reason for the spree was still unclear, and it is unknown whether he was acting or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Martin Motors suffered some fire and smoke damage and its rear roof collapsed, and damage to the grocery store is more than $1,000 worth, Martinez said.

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