Man used bungee cord to trap roommates inside burning home, Alabama cops say
An Alabama man accused of setting a home on fire and trapping his six roommates inside is facing several charges, according to news outlets.
Marlon Pineda-Enamorado, 38, was charged with arson after authorities said he barricaded six people inside a burning home in Robertsdale on New Year’s Day, WPMI reported, citing the city’s police department.
Authorities said he will also face attempted murder charges and has an immigration hold.
“The suspect had used an accelerant, gasoline, to light several mattresses on fire inside his room and causing the entire home to be filled with smoke,” Robertsdale Police Lt. Paul Overstreet told WKRG.
Pineda-Enamorado is then accused of tying a bungee cord on the front door to keep his roommates from escaping, according to WPMI.
Police said one of the roommates called 911, WEAR-TV reported. Officers arrived to find two people trying to escape through a window and had to break down a door to get the remaining people out safely.
A 73-year-old was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation, according to the station.
Investigators said Pineda-Enamorado’s rampage started after a conversation about him finding a new place to live, adding that his roommates had given him deadline to leave, according WKRG. Officers said they found him standing outside the home with a gas can still in hand.
McClatchy News reached out to the Robertsdale Police Department on Jan. 5 and was awaiting a response.
Pineda-Enamorado was booked into the Baldwin County Jail and remains held without bond as of Jan. 5, online records show.
Robertsdale is about 30 miles southeast of Mobile.
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Man used bungee cord to trap roommates inside burning home, Alabama cops say."