A man armed with a machete in Texas reportedly attempted to ignite two of his neighbors’ houses in a bizarre arson incident captured on video.
Last Wednesday, a 46-year-old man from West Harris County was seen engaging in alarming behavior as he carried a red gas can, crossed Brighton Hollow Lane, and poured gasoline on the side of a neighbor’s house in plain sight, all while wielding a large machete.
The residents swiftly put out the fire, which damaged a section of the yard and the brick facade of the house.
Not long after, Nguyen strolled a short distance and reportedly acted on his destructive tendencies once again.
“You setting my house on fire?” a woman calls to him, according to a surveillance recording obtained by the station. “I got my kids in the house!”
Nguyen appears unresponsive as he strolls across the lawn, pours the fuel beside the house, and ignites it.
However, the individual’s attempts were utterly unsuccessful — the fire merely scorched a section of the grass.
In the meantime, Nguyen confidently walked to the edge of the driveway, surveying his surroundings before beginning to swing his machete through the air.
He subsequently menaced the second victim with the large knife. She reported to the deputies that he approached her brandishing the knife while she attempted to extinguish the flames with a hose.
Authorities report that he also made threats toward a deputy from the Harris County sheriff’s office who arrived at the location, as stated in court filings.
The officer deployed a taser on Nguyen before taking him into custody.
Officials charged the fire-loving individual with first-degree felony arson, aggravated assault against a public servant, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the report.
Nguyen’s bail was established at $200,000, and Judge Danilo Lacayo issued serious caution in conjunction with the substantial amount.