Man sentenced following arson at Mesa apartment: MCAO

MESA, Ariz. - Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say a 57-year-old man has been sentenced, just over a year following an arson that left another person badly injured.

What we know:

Per a statement released on Sept. 25, Lyle Terence Samuel has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

"Samuel pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted First-Degree Murder, a Class Two Dangerous Felony, and one count of Arson of an Occupied Structure, a Class Two Dangerous Felony," officials with MCAO wrote.

The backstory:

According to the statement, that fire happened in August 2024, when Samuel doused the front door of the victim's apartment with gasoline and lit it on fire.

"The fire blocked the only exit, forcing the victim to jump through a window to escape," prosecutors wrote. "The victim was engulfed in flames by the time he managed to get out and suffered cuts from the broken glass."

The victim, according to officials, suffered "extensive burns to his hands, feet, and body and was hospitalized for nearly a month as he required multiple surgeries." The fire also caused significant damage to the apartment complex.

Dig deeper:

Investigators said lighter fluid and a receipt for gasoline was found inside Samuel's RV, and a police K-9 unit also detected accelerants on Samuel's shoes.

"After his arrest, Samuel admitted that the fire could have been deadly but seemed more concerned about the $300 the victim owed him," read a portion of MCAO's statement.

What they're saying:

"This fire could’ve had catastrophic consequences. Innocent families and children were recklessly put at risk over a few hundred dollars. Thankfully, the quick action of the Mesa Fire and Police Departments ensured that no one else was hurt," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell wrote, in the statement.