A 14-year-old boy in Florida has been arrested and charged with a series of felonies after allegedly setting a family home on fire in a deliberate plot to kill a friend who was sleeping inside.
Early Morning Inferno in Lehigh Acres
The incident occurred in the quiet community of Lehigh Acres on the morning of January 3. Authorities from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and local firefighters rushed to the residential property around 6 a.m. after reports of a blaze.
Upon arrival, investigators made chilling discoveries. They found an open 5-gallon propane tank placed near the home's front door. They also recovered a homemade Molotov cocktail at the scene, indicating a premeditated attack.
Family's Narrow Escape Through Windows
Miraculously, the four occupants inside the home managed to escape without injury. Namiry Enrique Alvarez, the mother of the teen who was the alleged target, described the traumatic ordeal to local news outlet WINK.
"It was a very traumatic moment. Even now, two days later, I still can’t sleep, and neither can they because you relive everything that happened, and you’re afraid it’s going to happen again," Alvarez said. She recounted how the inferno blocked the main exit, forcing her and her three family members to flee through windows.
Suspect's Arrest and Confession
Multiple witnesses reported seeing the suspect, a 14-year-old boy, parked down the street. He reportedly approached the victims after the fire started, asking what had happened before fleeing.
Deputies later located and arrested the teenager at his home. According to police, the suspect confessed to transporting the propane tank and using a gas-filled bottle to ignite the fire. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated that the teen admitted his goal was to kill a teenage friend who lived in the home.
"This is a juvenile that’s committing a tremendous, horrifying act — trying to kill four people in a residence. It’s sad to me that things got this way, but I’m very thankful that the result is nobody’s hurt, and our suspect is off the streets and charged," Sheriff Marceno told WINK.
The motive for the alleged attempted murder remains unclear. The young suspect now faces a severe list of charges, reflecting the gravity of the crime:
- Four counts of attempted felony murder
- Arson
- Occupied burglary
- Making a destructive device
- Possession or use of a weapon
The case has sent shockwaves through the local community, raising serious concerns about juvenile crime and violence.
