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Lafayette man arrested after trying to set fire to an occupied house
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 9:13 PM by Elizabeth Hill
A Lafayette man is behind bars after trying to set his house on fire while his parents were inside.
It happened early Friday morning around 2:15. 22-year-old Justin Bartlett was arrested and charged with domestic abuse battery and aggravated arson.
This was not the first time police have been called to the Bartlett residence.
"None of the previous incidents were criminal in nature, typically yelling and just kind of getting to this point," says Captain Kip Judice with the Lafayette Sheriff's Office.
But last night things turned criminal when Bartlett attempted to set his parents house on fire while they were still inside.
"He doused a line of grass leading to the house and then on the corner of the home and then set that on fire to try and set the house ablaze."
Bartlett's mother quickly figured out what her son had done and was able to put the fire out before it caused any serious damage.
"Had that not been the case we may be dealing with a different situation today."
Police believe there were some ongoing issues between Bartlett and his parents including a dispute earlier in the day.
"Things escalated during the day yesterday, which caused the situation to become out of hand."
Bartlett has been booked into the parish jail. His bond is set at $20,000.
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