Police have charged a 38-year-old man with arson and other offenses in connection with a house fire Tuesday afternoon in Ocean View.
Police have charged a 38-year-old man with arson and other offenses in connection with a house fire Tuesday afternoon in Ocean View.
At 7:30 a.m. today, 38-year-old James M. Thomas of Ocean View was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree terroristic threatening and four counts of second-degree reckless endangering. His bail was set at $64,000. He is being held at the Kona police cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Friday.
At 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to a fire on the 92-8200 block of Bamboo Lane. When they arrived, firefighters were at the scene and the house Thomas occupied with his family was determined to be a total loss.
Investigation determined that Thomas intentionally started the fire while two women and two teenage boys were inside. No one was injured. The damages were estimated at $145,000.
Thomas was arrested at the scene.