Teen faces 4 attempted murder charges after propane tank house fire in Lehigh Acres

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. —

A 14-year-old Lehigh Acres boy was arrested after deputies say he used a propane tank to light a home on fire as people were sleeping inside.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the incident happened at approximately 6 a.m. on Saturday in the 300 block of Paisley Avenue.

Deputies and the Lehigh Acres Fire Department responded to reports of a house fire, and LCSO deputies discovered an open 5-gallon propane tank near the front door of the home.

The sheriff's office said the four occupants who were inside were able to escape the home through a window with injuries.

According to LCSO, witnesses told deputies that the suspect, Maikol Estrada Gomez, was parked down the street and made contact with the victims briefly, asking what happened before he left the area.

Estrada Gomez was found at his home along 300 Petite Circle. Deputies said he admitted to transporting the propane tank, using a gas-filled bottle to ignite the fire and trying to kill someone inside the home.

According to LCSO, a teen in the victim's home was a former friend of the suspect.

He is facing four counts of attempted felony murder, arson, occupied burglary, making a destructive device, and possession or use of a weapon. Estrada Gomez was released to the Department of Juvenile Justice for secure detention, according to LCSO.

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