Man Arrested for Lighting House on Fire while Mother Slept Inside

A Newcastle man was arrested yesterday morning for lighting his home on fire while his mother slept upstairs.

Sean James Petty, 20, was arrested by Placer County Sheriff’s detectives after they investigated the fire at the Rock Springs Road home of his mother. South Placer Fire personnel had requested arson investigators come to the scene. There, detectives found a gasoline can and other items used to light the side of the residence.

The mother was alerted to the fire by smoke detectors. She was not injured, but her house sustained significant damage.

Petty was arrested on charges of arson to an inhabited dwelling and booked at the Placer County Jail in Auburn. His bail is set at $50,000.