FAYETTEVILLE -- A man charged with setting his home on fire while three children and three adults were inside received a September trial date in Washington County Circuit Court.
Nicholas Rodriguez, 32, of 33 W. Elm St. faces charges of attempted murder and arson. He's also accused of violating parole.
Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor on Tuesday set the case for a three-day trial beginning Sept. 14.
All occupants of the home escaped unharmed, officials said.
Police responded to a domestic disturbance at the home and were looking for Rodriguez in the neighborhood when an officer heard smoke detectors and smelled smoke.
The officer saw flames coming from one side of the single-story home. A woman ran toward his car and said Rodriguez "tried to burn my house down with my babies inside," according to a police report.
One adult in the house extinguished flames at the front door for his children to escape, while others inside leaped over flames at two other doorways. Two families were living in the home at the time.
An officer found Rodriguez nearby and arrested him. Rodriguez told investigators he poured gasoline in the doorways and lit it, then went across the street to wait before fleeing because of approaching sirens, according to the police report.
Rodriguez said he was only trying to scare his wife, according to the police report.
NW News on 04/27/2016