Police accuse an Augusta man of trying to set his house on fire as his wife and six children were inside, according to a report by CBS affiliate WRDW 12 News, citing the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
George Arno Lyons, 50, was charged with several felonies Sunday after police said he poured vegetable oil throughout his home and then lit a piece of paper to spark a blaze.
When that didn’t work, police said he went looking for gasoline.
A police report did not reveal a motive nor what led up to the alleged domestic incident.
Police who arrived at the house in the 2000 block of Starnes Street just after 2 p.m. Sunday said nearly the entire floor of the home — from the master bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen — was “coated in oil and gasoline.”
The couple’s bed mattress was also doused with fuel.
Police said splashes of oil and gas were visible on the couple’s shoes and feet from shuffling through the mixture.
An empty gas can was on the floor, along with three empty oil containers, the report said, adding that police also found “two charred pieces of paper in the entryway to the kitchen.”
Police suspected Lyons of pouring the liquids based on the drip patterns on his clothing, according to a report.
He was charged with four counts of cruelty to children in the third degree and one count of terrorist threats and acts, according to the report.
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