Crime & Safety

Arrest Made in Lutz Arson

Pasco County deputies say a man set fire to a house with his wife and mother inside. He was found hiding in a heavily vegetated area behind the home.

Pasco County deputies have arrested the 40-year-old Lutz man they say set fire to his family’s home this morning.

According to Doug Tobin, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, Robert Benjamin Brooks, 40, is charged with attempted homicide, arson and violation of pre-trail release. Brooks had been released from the Land O’ Lakes Jail Sept. 27 on aggravated domestic battery charges. Tobin said Brooks tried to strangle his wife.

The sheriff’s office received a call about the fire at 21620 Teal Court around 8:55 a.m. today, Sept. 30. Tobin said Brooks’ mother is the homeowner and she is the one who called for assistance.

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The incident began around 8:30 a.m., Tobin said, when Brooks went to his mother’s home asking to speak with his wife. The mother told him to leave because a domestic violence injunction had been filed against him. Instead of leaving, Brooks broke a window and pushed a gas can through. He then entered the home, doused the living room with gasoline and set the fire, Tobin said.

After setting the fire, Brooks exited the back of the home. Deputies searched the Cypress Cove neighborhood for hours trying to locate him. They called in K-9 units and also had air support from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

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He was found and arrested around 1:30 p.m. today hiding in a heavily vegetated area on the property, Tobin said.

Brooks was being transported to the Medical Center of Trinity for medical clearance. After that, Tobin said, he would be booked into the Land O’ Lakes Jail.

See Also:

Update: Air Search Under Way for Arson Suspect


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