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Two arson cases in the past week, one caused by man wearing nothing below the waist

2 years 11 months 1 week ago Saturday, April 10 2021 Apr 10, 2021 April 10, 2021 6:14 PM April 10, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

According to State Fire Marshal reports, two men were arrested for separate arson attempts involving children in the past week.

On Friday around 3 a.m., firefighters responded to a house fire in Mamou, where a mobile home was set on fire. According to the report, 33-year-old James Rozas walked into the home and announced to the people inside the home at the time, a woman and her three children, that he had set the house and a nearby vehicle on fire.

The four managed to escape the mobile home unharmed. Police arriving at the scene saw Rozas, wearing only a hoodie sweatshirt and naked from the waist below, fleeing the scene with a gun.

Investigators ruled the mobile fire and the vehicle fire were intentional.

Rozas was found in Kinder after a collaborative search effort between six agencies, including the State Fire Marshal department, Coushatta Tribal Police and Louisiana State Police.

Rozas allegedly stole three vehicles between fleeing the scene and being caught.

He was charged on a slew of counts, including the violation of a protective order and attempted second-degree murder. His bond is set at $915,000.

A GoFundMe set up for the victims, who lost everything in the fire, is currently accepting donations.

In Allen Parish, Craig Paul, 49, was booked April 8 for aggravated arson and for making homemade explosive devices.

On April 6, police officers investigated the scene of an Oakdale house fire where "suspicious objects" were found. At the time of the fire, two women and two children were inside the home. The only part of the house damaged was a tarp on the outside of the home.

According to the State Fire Marshall, Paul admitted to making the explosive devices and to setting the tarp on fire.

Paul said he set the fire because he struggled with mental illness and used illegal narcotics.

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