SALT LAKE CITY — A Roosevelt man was charged Thursday with setting fire to his house because he allegedly thought people were going to kill him.
Cache Edrington, 30, is charged in 8th District Court with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony.
On Wednesday, emergency crews were dispatched to a fire at 109 N. Wendall Lane in Roosevelt.
“Upon arrival, I observed a house on the corner of the street with flames and smoke coming out from the front windows and roof,” the arresting officer wrote in an affidavit filed in court.
Witnesses told police that after the fire was started, Edrington — who owns the house — came out of the garage door stating, “I set the fire,” according to the affidavit.
Fire crews noted to police that “the person who started the fire had placed a couch in front of the front door,” the affidavit states.
When interviewed by police, they said Edrington again claimed responsibility for the fire.
“Cache stated that two men were in his house last night trying to kill him. He said that he had tied doors together in the home so they couldn’t get to him. He then told me that he set the porch on fire first, then the rest of the house. I asked him how he did that, he told me that he got two 20-ounce cups filled with gasoline and used a lighter to ignite them. He told me he placed one on the porch and one at the start of the stairs that went to his basement,” the affidavit states.
Investigators said they did not find any witnesses who saw other people in the house or running from the home.