LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A teenager was arrested over the weekend after police say he set a vehicle on fire that extended to his residence in Lauderhill while his father slept inside.
According to an arrest report from the Lauderhill Police Department, Emmanuel James, 19, faces charges of attempted murder and first-degree arson to a dwelling with people present.
Police said they responded to a residential fire around 10:30 p.m. Sunday near the 3400 block of Northwest Fifth Street.
Upon arrival, investigators found the blaze had consumed a carport and the victim’s 2014 gray Volkswagen Tiguan, prompting an urgent response from authorities.
The fire, which started in the carport and extended to its walls, “necessitated immediate attention,” the report stated.
The victim, who police identified as David Filbert James, Emmanuel James’ father, was found asleep during the incident and was safely evacuated from the residence.
David James said he planned to press charges against his son, according to detectives.
A Lauderhill fire marshal evaluated the scene and deemed the residence condemned due to the extensive fire damage, authorities confirmed.
Local 10 News obtained surveillance video that police said shows Emmanuel James dousing the walls and floor of the carport in gasoline and then igniting the fire before leaping over it and fleeing the scene.
Police said Emmanuel James was later apprehended at a gas station in Plantation before being taken into custody.
During bond court proceedings, prosecutors cited compelling evidence, including witness identification and surveillance footage from a nearby gas station that they say captured Emmanuel James purchasing the gasoline used in the incident.
State attorneys are now seeking pre-trial detention for James, arguing that the violence exhibited poses a “potential threat” to public safety.
Emmanuel James’ arrest report states that he declined to provide a statement to detectives following his arrest.
A Broward judge ordered Emmanuel James to stay away from his father and the residence.
A motive for why he started the fire remains unknown at this time.
Jail records show Emmanuel James is being held without bond at the Broward Main Jail as of Tuesday.