SYRACUSE, Utah — A 33-year-old man from Syracuse is facing aggravated arson after he allegedly set fire to a home with people inside.
Eric Dwayne Gilley was arrested on Thursday. He is being held without bail.
According to court documents, on April 30 at 4:11 a.m., first responders were called to a home in the 1400 block of South Doral Drive for a house fire. When officials arrived, they found multiple tenants had evacuated before they arrived.
The room, which was on fire, was located in the basement and was allegedly rented by Gilley. He was not at the residence when first responders arrived, and no one was able to get in contact with him.
A search warrant was granted for the room, and detectives say they found the fire was contained to a mattress, and a melted bottle of isopropyl alcohol was located near the foot of the bed. Based on the burn pattern, investigators say they believe an accelerant had been used to start the fire.
Gilley had allegedly been seen at the home throughout the day, and a resident reported locking the basement door at 11:30 p.m.
A bedroom window was closed as well, with a box being placed in front of it to prevent people from escaping the fire. At the time the fire was discovered, residents say they found the basement door slightly ajar.
When police found Gilley, he denied knowing how the fire started and claimed to have been in Layton City at the time it started.
However, detectives say that his left arm had an area of discoloration and no noticeable arm hair. Gilley's right arm was free of the discoloration and had noticeable arm hair.
