West Valley City man charged for planning to light house on fire with parents inside

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) — A West Valley City man has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to burn down his parents’ house while they were sleeping. His roommate had to de-escalate the situation to prevent the arson, documents say.

A 35-year-old man from West Valley City has been charged with attempted aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, and assault, a Class B misdemeanor. ABC4 is not identifying the man in order to protect the identities of the victims.

According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2025, the West Valley City Police Department (WVCPD) was contacted regarding a domestic violence incident. A woman reported that she and her adult son were arguing, and he punched her in the arm.

After this incident, a witness reported having to de-escalate the adult son from burning down his parents’ house. The officer contacted the witness, the son’s roommate, who had received concerning messages from the 35-year-old and went to find him. The roommate stated that he had received a message that read, “Got plans with fire though.”

After receiving the message, the roommate allegedly located the 35-year-old in the back of the house with a “large jug of gasoline” and a cloth.

“I don’t have much time on this earth, maybe I should just do the right thing for everybody. Light the main house on fire with my mom and stepdad asleep inside,” the man told his roommate, according to court documents.

A WVCPD officer went to the back of the residence, and the roommate pointed out the jug of gasoline that the 35-year-old had been holding. The officer smelled the container and noted the odor of gasoline, meaning it was a real danger. The roommate confirmed to police that the suspect’s mother and stepfather were asleep inside the residence while he was making the threat.

The 35-year-old’s mother told police that he had “been acting belligerently and has physically assaulted members of the family in the past,” but that they didn’t report those incidents. She told police that she believes her son will kill her, and he could easily get a gun.

The man was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail, where he is currently being held on a no-bail warrant due to his risk to the victims and the community. He has an initial appearance in court set for Sept. 25, 2025.