Mo. man accused of trying to set house on fire with wife and her elderly aunt inside

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. (TCD) — A 48-year-old man is facing arson and other charges after he allegedly tried to burn his house down while his wife and her aunt were trapped inside.

According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 1:30 a.m., Darin Thomsen’s wife called 911 and said her estranged husband was inside the residence even though he was not allowed to be and that he was “threatening her with violence.”

The woman barricaded herself and her 78-year-old aunt in a bedroom and then smelled smoke.

Clay County deputies arrived at the home and “could smell something burning.” The wife reportedly called for help as Thomsen allegedly walked out to the porch, refused to comply with deputies’ demands, then went back inside.

The sheriff’s office said Thomsen fought back at deputies as they tried to detain him. A large dog in the house reportedly “had become aggressive and was attempting to bite deputies during the arrest.”

Deputies managed to move the dog safely into another room and close the door.

Pleasant Valley firefighters extinguished the flames and rescued the two women, who said they were “in fear for their lives.” The fire reportedly began in the living room and burned a cabinet and a painting. The statement said the flames were “making its way up the wall toward the ceiling before firefighters extinguished it.”

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said investigators discovered accelerants inside the residence as well as a torch lighter in Thomsen’s pocket. The Missouri Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety said the fire was started intentionally.

Thomsen was arrested for first-degree assault on a special victim, arson, domestic assault, and assault on a law enforcement officer. He is in custody at the Clay County Detention Center with bond set at $100,000.

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