SPRING HILL, Fla. — A man is being charged with attempted arson after he allegedly threatened to burn down the home he shared with his ex-girlfriend Wednesday in Spring Hill.
Jack French, 48, was arrested following a standoff with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office that impacted traffic in the area, the agency said in a news release. He is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
Deputies responded to the home around 3:09 a.m. on Oct. 23 after French's ex-girlfriend called the agency and told them he was upset about their recent breakup and threatened to burn down the home they shared on Riddle Drive, texting her pictures of gas cans.
A convicted felon, French was reportedly found standing outside the home "loading firearms into a vehicle," according to the sheriff's office. When deputies tried to talk with him, the 48-year-old reportedly grabbed a rifle and another gun before running into the house.
While negotiators talked with French over the phone, he reportedly made several suicidal statements. Later on, a gunshot rang out from inside the home.
French told deputies one of his guns fired by accident while he was opening a door. Shortly after 8 a.m., the 48-year-old was talked out of the house and arrested without further incident.
While being interviewed by deputies, French said he was upset over the breakup with his ex and admitted to pouring gas on the floor of the house, but not igniting it.
As they searched the home, deputies found a 5-gallon gas container, 11 guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. He was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center where he is being held on a $25,000 bond.
