Lincoln County deputies say a 32-year-old man admitted to soaking his girlfriend’s house in gasoline and setting it on fire early Monday, triggering a chaotic scramble for safety inside the home. The blaze started around 2 a.m. on Gate Key Court near Denver. Investigators say the homeowner managed to knock down most of the flames with a fire extinguisher while four people were still inside. Deputies later spotted and arrested Martavious Isabell after a vehicle pursuit that carried over into neighboring Catawba County.
What deputies say
According to the sheriff’s office, the homeowner told deputies she had argued with her boyfriend shortly before she noticed the fire and then saw flames outside the house. Deputies say the tires on one of the victim’s vehicles had also been slashed. Investigators report they tracked Isabell after he took off from the scene, according to WCCB.
Pursuit, evidence and charges
Authorities say the chase ended when the suspect’s vehicle crashed into the Balls Creek Campground on Buffalo Shoals Road in Catawba County. Deputies report Isabell tried to run but was quickly taken into custody. Investigators say they recovered a gas-can cap from him, then executed a search warrant on the vehicle and later found the matching gas can. They also say video allegedly shows him purchasing the container before the fire. Local outlets report he faces multiple charges, including attempted first-degree murder and first-degree arson, and that he is being held without bond at the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center, as reported by AOL/Queen City News.
Local confirmation
WSOC also reports that deputies found a gas-can cap on Isabell and notes he has been charged with attempted murder, echoing investigators’ account of how the case came together. Deputies say the investigation is still active and more information could be released as they continue processing evidence.
What the charges mean
Under North Carolina law, setting fire to an occupied home is charged as first-degree arson, a serious felony that can lead to lengthy prison time. Attempted first-degree murder is a separate violent felony that carries even steeper potential penalties if a defendant is convicted. For more detail on how arson is classified and punished in the state, see FindLaw.
