Arlington man set fire to house with children inside in Fort Worth, officials say
A man set a house and car on fire in an attempt to prevent those inside the home, including children, from escaping the flames, the Fort Worth Fire Department said.
A neighbor was able to get the family out of the home unharmed before the fire department arrived, a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman said. The woman and the children who were in the house are just a bit “shaken up,” the spokesman said.
Fort Worth Fire Department responded at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to a car and home on fire in the 3700 block of Hulen Park Circle. The fires were put out quickly, but arson investigators determined that a total of three fires had been set intentionally.
“Specifically, the suspect was aware that the residence was occupied by children and the fires are believed to have been intentionally set in locations to prevent the occupants from readily escaping the flames,” a press release from the fire department stated.
At 3:45 a.m. Sunday, Fort Worth fire investigators and the Arlington SWAT team arrested Courtney Eugene Smith, 39, of Arlington. Smith’s bail was set at $195,000, and special bond conditions were set by the magistrate.
Investigators found that the arson had been prompted by a domestic disturbance at the home Friday, according to the press release.
On Saturday, investigators reviewed security footage, talked to witnesses and obtained five felony probable cause arrest warrants and a search warrant. Smith was then arrested early Sunday.
According to jail records, Smith is charged with two counts of arson, three counts of obstruction/retaliation, and one count of interfering with an emergency call.
A spokesman said at a news conference that the charge for interfering with an emergency call came after Smith took the victim’s phone while she was trying to call 911 during an altercation earlier in the day. Police were called on that incident by someone else complaining about a disturbance.
“The Fort Worth Fire Department would like to thank everyone who cooperated in this investigation; the residents of the neighborhood, the Fort Worth and Arlington Police Departments, as well as the Tarrant County Prosecutor’s Office,” the press release stated.
Anyone with any information about the incident can contact Fort Worth Fire Department’s arson investigators at 817-392-6850.
This story was originally published July 28, 2019 at 6:08 PM.
