Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Police use pepper spray to subdue man accused of arson attempt

Fire location

Sun coverage

A man was taken into custody Sunday morning after police say he lit a phone book on fire and tried to burn down a home in northeast Las Vegas.

Units from the Clark County Fire Department arrived at the 900 block of Sierra Vista Drive, near Swenson Street and Desert Inn Road, about 9:40 a.m. to find Metro Police had already pepper-sprayed and handcuffed the man, county fire officials said.

Firefighters saw burns on the man’s stomach and chest and thought he had laid on the burning phone book. Fire officials said that during their investigation, they learned the man had burned himself with bleach several days earlier, and the pepper spray he was hit with aggravated his injuries.

The man was taken to a hospital for evaluation, then taken into custody by Clark County fire investigators. Metro said the man had been arrested once before on arson charges.

Fire officials said he is undergoing psychological evaluation.

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