Florida man attempts to set 2 homes on fire in the same neighborhood, police say

ORLANDO, Fla. – Homeowners in Orlando are demanding further action after a man set fire to their houses while they were still inside.

The incident happened around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday near Terrace Blvd. and Weber St. in Orlando. Surveillance camera captured a man walking up and holding up what appeared to be a lighter, setting flame to the door in multiple spots. 

The fire began spreading, but the homeowner at the home, Greg Cordner, said a neighbor noticed what was happening and put the fire out. Another neighbor’s home was also victimized.

Cordner says things could have been much worse, but a dog woke him and his wife up before they were hurt. The dog is deaf and blind, but still sensed the danger and jumped into action.

Cordner and his neighbor gave Orlando Police a description of the accused arsonist, as well as the surveillance video that captured the crime. An affidavit detailed that police got another call for help later that same day when the caller noticed a man they thought was suspicious. 

It turned out to be the suspected arsonist who was caught on video, so police took him into custody.

They arrested 48-year-old Lloyd Roberts and charged him with two counts of arson to an occupied dwelling and two counts of criminal mischief. He was given a $12,000 bond.

The fire caused about $1,000 of damage to each door, on top of the headache of getting things fixed and the lingering fears for the homeowners’ safety. The Cordner family said Roberts also assaulted a woman after setting their doors on fire, though that incident was not caught on camera and Roberts is not currently charged with that crime.

This story will be updated.