A 22-year-old Suwanee man is accused of intentionally setting a house fire by pouring an accelerant outside near a gas meter, the Gwinnett County fire department said Friday.
Jacob Dylan Pitman was charged with first-degree arson for allegedly setting the Wednesday fire in the 2100 block of Fall Creek Landing in unincorporated Loganville, Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.
Around 7:30 p.m., firefighters arrived to find smoke and flames showing from the right side of the two-story home. The fire caused significant damage to the exterior wall and floor of the home, which filled with smoke. The fire also damaged the gas meter and caused a natural gas leak, Rutledge said. Occupants were home at the time and were alerted by a noise outside and escaped unharmed.
A witness reported seeing Pitman pour an accelerant on the side of the house near the gas meter and igniting the fire, Rutledge said. The witness also stated that Pitman’s clothing was on fire as he ran into the woods across from the subdivision before police and firefighters arrived.
Fire investigators and police were able to apprehend Pitman after an extensive search Wednesday night. Pitman reportedly contacted a family member by cell phone as he hid in the woods, and that family member urged him to abandon his hiding place and turn himself in to authorities, Rutledge said. Investigators believe a domestic dispute may have prompted the arson.
Pitman was transported to the Gwinnett County jail, where he was being held without bond Friday afternoon.
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