Three elderly Centerville residents are recovering after a man they didn’t know entered their home, physically attacked them and set their house on fire on Thursday afternoon.
According to Centerville police, a 37-year-old man — who was “believed to have been under the influence of controlled substances,” according to a news release — carried a can of gasoline into the home at 329 E. 1825 North at 2:41 p.m. He told the three elderly residents he was going to burn the house down with them inside it. The man dumped the gasoline — throwing some of it on one of the victims — and started the fire.
The suspect struck two of the victims with his fists, causing what police described as “non-life threatening injuries.” They were rescued from the fire by police taken to a hospital to be treated. The 37-year-old man, whose name has not been released, tried to steal the homeowners’ vehicle, but was unsuccessful, according to police. When officers arrived, the man was “hiding” inside the burning house, claiming he was armed with a knife. Officers tasered the man and took him into custody.About a dozen nearby homes were evacuated as crews from the South Davis, Farmington and Kaysville fire departments battled the house fire.