Authorities said one of the guys, Ulysses Rivera, was inside the residence swinging a machete and making threats before the fire.
BONITA SPRINGS, FLORIDA: Two men are being held in Lee County after the sheriff's office said they collaborated to set fire to a residence with 21 people still inside.
Ulysses Rivera, 42, and Orlando Rivera, 63, were detained on January 1 after Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated on Facebook that the two had "placed several individuals at risk."
Deputies from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Bonita Springs Fire Control responded to an arson incident on London Lane in Bonita Springs.
Deputies arrived to find Ulysses Rivera swinging a machete around the house and threatening to murder those inside, according to the sheriff's office. According to investigators, he then poured gasoline around the house as Orlando Rivera ignited the fuel on the fire.
Both guys fled, locking the door behind them. According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the 21 occupants inside the house were forced to leave through the windows.
The fire injured four of the almost two dozen persons who were inside the house. Deputies located Ulysses and Orlando Rivera in the area shortly after and arrested them.
Ulysses Rivera is charged with three counts of aggravated violence, arson, and aggravated assault. His bail is set at USD 1,350,000. Orlando Rivera is facing arson charges as well as three counts of aggravated violence. His bail is set at USD 1,250,000.
As of January 3, both guys remained in detention.
Comments / 1