A Rockville, Md. man named Carlos Peralta was so upset over the poor living conditions of his house that he doused the floor in gasoline, lit it on fire, left to grab a drink, then returned to the two-story structure.
Then he confessed to lighting the fire — unprompted — to an ABC7 WJLA News camera crew who had arrived on the scene Wednesday.
“I just poured gasoline on the floor, set it on fire, went to grab a drink, and came back,” Peralta told WJLA.
He then told the news crew that he did it to draw the media’s attention to his plight. “Just so you could get here … for your attention.”
Peralta also said that he had reported the poor conditions to police, but that no one had seriously looked into the complaint. Six people lived inside the house, according to police.
He later confessed to police, who charged him with first degree arson and three counts of reckless endangerment Thursday.
The fire caused more than $400,000 of damage, and the house is like marred beyond repair, WJLA writes.
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