Man seen wandering streets of affluent neighborhood with gasoline can and machete faces arson charges
A man in Texas has been arrested after security footage showed him setting fire to two of his neighbors’ homes while brandishing a machete.
Phi Le Nguyen, 46, is accused of dousing the side of a neighbor’s house with gasoline and setting it on fire before setting fire to a second neighbor’s house.
Security footage from a property in the affluent area appears to show him strolling down the road with a can of petrol in hand.
He was reportedly seen smoking a cigarette as he doused the side of Andy Heredia’s house with gasoline before lighting the fire.
Phi Le Nguyen, 46, is facing two counts of arson and two counts of aggravated assault after he was allegedly caught on camera setting fire to two of his neighbor’s homes while wielding a machete
Homeowner and neighbor Andy Heredia said if he had not stopped Nguyen, the damage could have been much worse
Heredia said he stopped him after he allegedly left behind a scorched lawn and a small section of scorched rocks.
The concerned resident told the story ABC-13 that if he had not intervened, the damage could have been much worse.
Nguyen is reportedly seen wandering a few doors down, still clutching the machete. He is accused of pouring the gasoline on another neighbor’s house, emptying it in their driveway and starting another fire.
Nguyen was arrested by Harris County Sheriffs and is being held on a $150,000 bond
Prosecutors say footage shows him standing at the end of the driveway looking toward the house, casually smoking his cigarette and waving his machete.
Nguyen was arrested and faces two counts of arson and two counts of aggravated assault.
Court documents accused him of threatening the second homeowner and a responding officer with the machete.
Nguyen is being held on a $150,000 bond.