Inset: Jake Licoski (J. Reuben Long Detention Center). Background: The area in South Carolina where Licoski allegedly attempted to harm his roommates (Google Maps).
A 55-year-old man from South Carolina faces accusations of trying to murder his three roommates by allegedly attempting to set them on fire. The motive is said to be their decision not to renew the lease on their shared home. Jake Licoski was arrested over the weekend, facing charges including three counts of attempted murder, one count of first-degree arson, evading a police signal, and driving with a compromised vehicle seal, according to records.
Authorities, including police and firefighters, responded to an apartment fire incident just after midnight on Sunday, August 31, at a complex located on West Flintlike Court in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as reported by NBC affiliate WMBF reported.
Upon their arrival, firefighters reportedly informed police that the fire appeared to be “deliberately started” while three individuals were inside. Several firefighters said that two victims identified the suspect as the driver of a nearby vehicle.
According to a police report accessed by Florence, South Carolina, ABC affiliate WPDE, when a firefighter approached the car and questioned the driver about the fire, the man allegedly “just started laughing and drove away.”
Multiple units began searching for the suspect”s vehicle so investigators could question the driver, whom they identified as Licoski.
One of the victims, a female roommate who was present during the incident, informed authorities that they suspected Licoski’s anger and alleged arson were due to the lease disagreement.
“The three victims were planning on moving out soon and would not be renewing their lease,” police reportedly wrote in an affidavit. “The arrestee was unhappy with this and did not have anywhere else to live. [The female roommate] stated that [Licoski] was very upset about it and believed that it was the reason he had lit the fire.”
The victim went on to state that she was in her room when she smelled the scent of gasoline, per WPDE. She said that when she went downstairs to investigate, the smell became more pungent, which is when she saw someone light the fluid on fire as they were closing the door.
Fire officials told WPDE that the pattern of the fire was “consistent with an accelerant being used,” adding that it appeared to have been poured in front of the other roommates’ bedroom doors as well as both sets of stairs — likely in an effort to prevent them from exiting their rooms or making it down the stairs.
Police reportedly said all three of the victims were forced to jump out of their bedroom windows to get out safely.
While officers were canvassing the scene and speaking to witnesses, a patrol vehicle spotted Licoski’s car and a chase ensued that ended with Licoski crashing. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment before being booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, where he is currently being held without bond, records show.
