Centerville house goes up in flames after home invasion

CENTERVILLE, Utah — Multiple people were taken to a hospital Thursday after an armed man broke into a home in Centerville, assaulted some of its residents and started it on fire.

Police said a 37-year-old man was confronted inside the burning home and arrested by police.

Police said a man entered the home with gasoline, started a fire, tried to burglarize some vehicles outside the house and entered the home again. Three of the people at the home, described as elderly, were injured and suffered blunt force trauma injuries. A “couple” of the victims were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not considered life threatening.

“A male entered the home with a few elderly people with gasoline and claimed to have a knife,” Lt. Allen Ackerson with Centerville Police Department said.

“The elderly victims were assaulted and a fire was started. It was my understanding that he (the suspect) made it very clear that he was going to burn the house down with them inside it,” Ackerson said.

Ackerson said the person suspected of the home invasion was arrested after police used a Tazer on him. Six police officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

The home, located at 329 E., 1825 North, was engaged by flames before firefighting crews arrived on scene to battle the blaze.

 

Ackerson did  did not say who the suspect was or why the Centerville residence was selected. He said it didn’t appear that the suspect and victims knew each other.