LEHI, Utah, June 18, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — An Orem man was booked into the Utah County jail Sunday after police say he attempted to burn his wife’s car, then let the air out of a tire.
Arrest documents for the 21-year-old were filed by an officer of the Lehi City Police Department. Gephardt Daily is not revealing his name citing the mental health consideration cited by law enforcement officers.
“Officers were dispatched to a mental subject detail in Lehi,” the man’s affidavit says. “The suspect poured lighter fluid on his wife’s car and was letting the air out of the tire. The suspect then left the home.
“I located the suspect. Post Miranda warning, the suspect stated he had been frustrated with things yesterday and with his wife, and that carried over into this morning. They had been arguing and they drove separate cars to Lehi,” the statement says.
“The wife stated she needed some alone time before getting out of her car. This made the suspect upset. He got lighter fluid out of his car and poured it on the front of the wife’s car. He then pushed in the cigarette lighter on his car and attempted to light the wife’s car on fire while she was in it. Officers checked the cigarette lighter in the suspect’s car and verified it does get hot
“The suspect then used a box cutter to let the air out of the tire on the wife’s car. The suspect’s mother was present and believes the suspect’s mental health played a role in his actions today.”
The suspect was arrested on one count of aggravated arson, a second-degree felony. He was ordered to be held without bail.
