BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — Two men are behind bars in Lee County after the sheriff's office said they worked together to set a home on fire with 21 people still inside the structure.
Ulysses Rivera, 42, and Orlando Rivera, 63, were arrested on Jan. 1, after Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a Facebook post the two "put multiple people in danger."
Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies and Bonita Springs Fire Control responded to a report of arson on London Lane in Bonita Springs.
Once first responders arrived, deputies learned that Ulysses Rivera was waving a machete around the home and threatened to kill people inside, the sheriff's office reports. He then poured gasoline though the residence while Orlando Rivera set the fuel on fire, according to authorities.
Both men locked the door behind them and left. The 21 people inside the home were forced to exit through the windows, Lee County Sheriff's Office reports.
Of the almost two dozen people inside the home, four were injured as a result of the fire.
Deputies found Ulysses and Orlando Rivera a short time after in the neighborhood and placed them under arrest.
Ulysses Rivera faces charges of aggravated assault, arson and three counts of aggravated battery. His bond is set at $1,350,000. Orlando Rivera faces charges of arson and three counts of aggravated battery. His bond is set at $1,250,000.
Both men are still in custody as of Jan. 3.
