Florida teen arrested after allegedly setting house on fire to kill friend as family of four inside makes lucky escape, bodycam footage reveals shocking details; watch video here

A horrifying incident surfaced in Florida where a teenager was facing charges after being arrested for allegedly trying to kill a friend by setting fire to a house while a family of four was asleep inside. According to police, the 14-year-old admitted that he was attempting to kill his friend.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and the Lehigh Acres Fire Department responded to a report of a residential fire on the 300 block of Paisley Avenue in Lehigh Acres at around 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, January 3, 2026, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Deputies discover incendiary devices on the scene

Following their arrival on the scene, deputies found an open 5-gallon propane tank near the front door of the home, along with a "homemade Molotov cocktail," according to the Facebook post. "Four occupants inside the home were able to escape through a window and were not injured," the LCSO said.

Probe unearths key details

An investigation was launched into the matter, and multiple witnesses told investigators that the suspect, identified as Maikol Estrada Gomez, was parked down the street and briefly made contact with the victims, asking what had happened before leaving the area.

Gomez arrested and charged

The suspect was located and arrested at his home, where he admitted to transporting the propane tank, using a gas-filled bottle to ignite the fire, and attempting to kill an occupant inside the home.

According to LCSO’s Facebook post, Gomez was charged with four counts of attempted felony murder, arson, occupied burglary, making a destructive device, and possession or use of a weapon. He has been released to the Department of Juvenile Justice for secure detention.

The LCSO's Facebook post also included body-cam footage of deputies and firefighters responding to the scene of the fire. The propane tank and the home's burned front door were also seen in the footage.

Victim family speaks on the incident


Dubbing the incident a “traumatic moment,” Namiry Enrique Alvarez told local outlet 13 News, “It was a very traumatic moment. Even now, two days later, I still can’t sleep, and neither can they because you relive everything that happened, and you’re afraid it’s going to happen again, which keeps you from sleeping,” said Alvarez through a translator.

She stated that the 14-year-old boy allegedly set their Lehigh Acres home on fire around 6 a.m. Saturday (January 3, 2025). Fortunately, none of the four family members sustained injuries. They had to escape through a window, as the fire blocked their front door.

According to the outlet, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the 14-year-old suspect allegedly told investigators that he started the fire in an attempt to kill his teenage friend, Alvarez's son.

“This is a juvenile that’s committing a tremendous, horrifying act—trying to kill four people in a residence. It’s sad to me that things got this way, but I’m very thankful that the result is nobody’s hurt, and our suspect is off the streets and charged,” Marceno said.