WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, March 13, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A West Valley City man is facing charges of arson and attempted murder after he allegedly started a fire in his own apartment in the early hours of Friday morning to stop his neighbor from “hurting him.”
According to a statement of probable cause from Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the fire broke out at approximately 12:50 a.m. Friday at an apartment complex at 4000 S. Redwood Road.
Police later arrested Kyle Stinson, who was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on one count of first-degree felony aggravated arson and one count of first-degree felony attempted murder.
The statement of probable cause said Stinson stated, after he was read his Miranda rights, that he had started a fire in his own apartment to “attempt to stop his neighbor from hurting him. His neighbor was not a threat in this situation, and had not made contact with him that day,” the statement reads. “Various neighbors stated that (Stinson) had been banging on the wall throughout the night with what seemed to be a sledgehammer. The neighbor in question locked himself in the bathroom during this time.”
Stinson told police he lit a fire “to stop him (his neighbor) from coming through the wall. (Stinson) stated that he made several attempts to light a fire, and was only successful after multiple times.”
Stinson also told police he was aware other tenants were in the building. The apartment building contains more than 10 other apartments, according to the probable cause statement.
The statement continues:
“(Stinson) stated that after he lit the fire he attempted to stop his neighbor from exiting his apartment by tying his door shut, so that his neighbor did not get out to hurt him. (Stinson) stated he observed the neighbor’s door knob move as he tied it shut.”
Officials said the damage was limited to Stinson’s apartment.
