Sacramento man in custody after allegedly setting fire to room with himself and child inside
Above: Still image from Sacramento County deputy bodycam footage | SCSO
A Sacramento man was recently arrested after a hostage situation in which he allegedly locked himself in a bedroom with his infant child and began setting fire to the room with both of them still inside, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has revealed that, shortly before 3:30 AM on Saturday, June 25, deputies responded to the 3900 block of Madison Avenue regarding a 911-hangup call. At the scene, a woman outside told deputies she’d allowed her estranged boyfriend to visit the 2-year-old child they share, initially not telling them that she had an active restraining order against him.
The woman told deputies that the two had been drinking and had gotten into a verbal fight that escalated to violence, with the man then reportedly retreating into a bedroom with the child and holding a knife to the child’s throat. Deputies tried to de-escalate the situation, but the man allegedly began setting fires with both himself and the child still in the room.
Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Detail and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel responded to the scene and evacuated adjacent apartments while first responders gained entry to the room, and successfully removed the man and child. Though the child was initially not breathing, he began breathing again after a short time. The child was later taken to hospital for treatment for trauma and burns, and has since been placed in specialized foster care, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was also initially unresponsive but reportedly became combative when he came to. He also suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide exposure and required hospitalization. He was discharged from the hospital on July 13 and booked at the Sacramento County main jail on charges related to the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office has released video footage from the incident, which is embedded below:
