WATCH: Richfield man arrested for trying to burn down ex-wife’s home with children inside, police say

RICHFIELD, Utah (ABC4) — A Richfield man has been arrested on 20 charges after four separate incidents involving his ex-wife, according to the Richfield City Police.

The suspect, 38, has been arrested on three counts of aggravated arson, eight counts of aggravated assault, two counts of attempted murder, four counts of protective order violation, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Sept. 11, Richfield City Police and Richfield City Fire responded to a home in Richfield, where it was discovered that someone had started a fire on the exterior of the house. The suspect was attempting to light the home on fire.

Following this incident, court documents state that the victim installed a camera system outside of the home.

A similar incident occurred on Sept. 15, involving the same home and victims. The court documents report that there was a set of shoe impressions that led from the house. The shoe impressions had a distinct line on the inside middle of the sole next to the letters ND1.

During the first two fires, the victim and her two minor children were asleep inside the home.

Once again, on Sept. 22, Richfield City Police said that officers were called to the same home. The suspect, believed to be the same as the last two incidents, fled the scene before he could start a fire.

Upon looking at the camera footage following the Sept. 22 incident, the victim stated that she recognized the suspect’s walk. The victim stated she’s known her ex-husband for 15 years and was certain that was his walk.

Then, on Oct. 5, at approximately 2:30 a.m., police and fire personnel responded to the same home. Richfield City Police reported that the suspect was later seen on camera throwing a flaming object at the residence and through a bedroom window. The victims woke up to find the home on fire.

Just after the Oct. 5 fire, an officer checked the suspect’s residence and found that the hood of his vehicle was warm. Camera footage showed the suspect’s vehicle leaving his residence just prior to the start of the fire, heading in the general direction of the victim’s home.

According to court documents, the suspect was later located at his residence in Richfield.
He was wearing two-tone colored AND1 shoes, with the same exact shoe print and size recovered from the crime scenes.

Richfield City Police were granted a search warrant of the suspect’s home, where court documents report multiple items of illegal controlled substances (THC-Marijuana), drug paraphernalia, and illegally possessed schedule 4 controlled substances, which were found in his bedroom.

The suspect was booked into Sevier County Jail and is being held without bail. His identity is being withheld to protect the identity of the victims.