A 14-year-old is charged with arson and four counts of attempted murder after a pre-dawn blaze on Paisley Avenue.
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — A 14-year-old boy is accused of setting a house fire with a propane tank and a gasoline-filled bottle around 6 a.m. Saturday on the 300 block of Paisley Avenue, forcing a family of four to flee through a window, deputies said.
Authorities say the case matters because the suspect is a juvenile accused of planning a lethal attack on a sleeping household. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says the teen targeted someone he knew and now faces adult-level allegations: arson and four counts of attempted murder. Investigators recovered an open five-gallon propane cylinder and a homemade incendiary device at the front door. No injuries were reported, but the incident has prompted a criminal investigation alongside a fire origin-and-cause review by local responders.
Deputies and Lehigh Acres firefighters were called to the single-story home shortly after sunrise Saturday, Jan. 3, and found heavy smoke around the entryway. An open propane tank sat by the threshold, along with a glass bottle containing gasoline and a wick, according to investigators at the scene. Inside, two adults and two juveniles were awake by then and climbed out a window to escape. The family also pulled out five pets, they told reporters later, as crews knocked down flames that scorched the front of the house. “We couldn’t breathe,” one resident said of the smoky hallway. “We didn’t know what was outside.”
Witnesses told deputies they saw a teen park down the street, approach the house and leave after briefly talking with the occupants. Detectives identified the suspect as Maikol Estrada Gomez, 14, and arrested him later at a nearby address on Petite Circle. Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the teen admitted he intended to harm the people inside. Investigators documented charring around the door frame consistent with a fuel-assisted ignition, and photographed the five-gallon cylinder positioned near the entrance. Officials said the residents included two juveniles and two adults who declined medical transport at the scene. The exact dollar amount of damage was not immediately available.
Deputies say the teen and at least one of the residents knew each other from the neighborhood. The sheriff characterized the motive as a targeted attempt to kill an acquaintance and the family, rather than a random attack. Records indicate the fire was reported around 6 a.m., and the sheriff’s office released video statements later that day describing evidence collected, including the propane cylinder and a Molotov-style device. Fire officials are conducting a standard cause-and-origin analysis to determine the precise ignition point and how the flame spread at the doorway. The agency said no firefighters were injured during suppression.
The arrest opens a series of legal questions typical for serious offenses involving juveniles. Prosecutors will review the arrest report to determine filing decisions, including whether to seek adult charges. The teen currently faces arson and four counts of attempted murder, with additional property-related counts possible after damage estimates are completed. An initial court appearance was expected within 24 hours of booking, with a detention hearing to follow. Officials said further briefings are planned this week as investigators finish interviews, gather surveillance video from the block and request lab analysis of fuel samples.
Neighbors described a quiet stretch of Paisley Avenue where families leave for work before dawn and school buses roll through after 7 a.m. By late morning Saturday, caution tape ringed the front yard and the smell of burned fuel lingered near the doorway. One resident who lives a few houses away said she woke up to sirens and saw smoke curling across the street as firefighters vented the home. Another neighbor said they saw a car idling down the block minutes before the call. The family told reporters they planned to stay with relatives while repairs are made.
As of Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office said the family is safe and investigators are finalizing reports ahead of charging decisions later this week. Officials said additional updates would be released after the lab work and cause report are complete.
Author note: Last updated January 6, 2026.