A Gainesville man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after he burned his and his roommate’s belongings at his Spyglass apartment, Gainesville Police said.
The 22-year-old man, whose name will remain confidential due to a possible mental illness, became upset and began destroying his roommates’ furniture in their apartment, located at 701 SW 62nd Blvd., according to an arrest report.
The man then put his laptop, passport, cellphone and his roommate’s laptop into the oven and turned it on to burn the items. He took more items in a garbage can into the parking lot and set them on fire as well, according to the report.
A witness at the apartment complex said she saw the man light the garbage can on fire and roll around on the ground, according to the report.
The man walked to the apartment’s front office but did not notify anyone of the fire, according to the report. When police found him at the front office, the man admitted to starting the fire to “destroy the demons,” wrote GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias in an email.
In addition to the man’s two roommates, there were eight other people in the building. The apartment sustained smoke damage, and the oven was damaged, according to the report.
The man was arrested on charges of arson and criminal mischief. He was taken to the Alachua County Jail where Baker Act paperwork was delivered based on his apparent mental status, Tobias said.
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