Arrest for arson, burglary after elderly man rescued, dog killed in Sacramento house fire
An elderly man was rescued, a woman escaped uninjured and one dog died after a house fire deliberately set Thursday morning in Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood, authorities said.
Crews arrived to a residence in the 1800 block of Niantic Way shortly after 1 a.m., the Sacramento Fire Department said in a series of tweets, where one man was located and taken to a hospital. The fire, burning inside the home, was extinguished.
Fire department spokesman Capt. Keith Wade said the injured victim was a man in his 80s, and the department said in an update to Twitter he is “expected to be OK.”
“A woman was in the residence and made it out safely by exiting the rear of the home,” the Fire Department continued on Twitter. “A dog did die as a result of this fire.”
Wade said another man whom authorities believe “was related to the house in some way” was arrested nearby by the Sacramento Police Department for “separate charges.” Sacramento Police Department spokesman Officer Karl Chan said the department was responding to reports of a break-in around 1 a.m. when it received reports that a fire started. The department later identified the man as Donald James Hailey, 53.
“We detained the person related to the burglary and ended up arresting that person for the burglary,” Chan said.
Late Thursday, fire officials said they would charge Hailey with arson causing great bodily injury after investigators determined the fire was deliberately set.
Hailey is being held without bail in Sacramento County jail.
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 7:27 AM.
