A Washington man was arrested after allegedly setting a stranger’s garage on fire with a homemade flamethrower before fleeing on a golf cart with his dog.
The 47-year-old suspect reportedly arrived at a home in Port Orchard on a golf cart, with surveillance footage showing his dog sitting in the passenger seat. Authorities said he was carrying a makeshift flamethrower built from a weed burner connected to a propane tank on the back of the cart.
He allegedly used the device to ignite the garage doorway before adding a liquid that caused the fire to spread rapidly. The homeowner was inside the house at the time and was reportedly unaware that the garage was burning.
After leaving the property, the suspect was confronted by a neighbor who had witnessed the incident. According to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, he claimed to be with the fire department before allegedly threatening the neighbor with a lit torch and attempting to hit him with the golf cart.
The neighbor later flagged down a Washington State Trooper, and the suspect was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson and second-degree assault.
The homeowner was not injured and said he did not know the suspect or why his property had been targeted. Damage was estimated at between $150,000 and $175,000, while a vehicle valued at approximately $25,000 was also destroyed.