A 15-year-old boy who allegedly locked his father in the basement of the family home and set the house on fire was arrested late Tuesday, said Westminster Police Investigator Stephanie Topkoff. The father was not injured.
Devon Gray was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide and arson. Details of the arrest weren’t immediately available.
Topkoff had earlier warned the public that Gray should be considered dangerous.
“He’s a good kid. He’s just got some issues to work out,” his father told KWGN-TV news (Channel 2), adding that the boy has bipolar disorder.
Police were called to the home in the 8000 block of Clay Drive about 3:30 p.m. to assist at a fire.
The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire quickly, Topkoff said.
Police determined that the homeowner was in the basement when his son purportedly started a fire on the staircase leading to the basement, then locked the basement door.
The father, whose name wasn’t released, managed to escape through a basement window and go next door to call 911, Topkoff said. He then returned to the house and rescued his three dogs, she said.
The youth fled the scene, and police were looking for him until just before midnight Tuesday.
Staff writer Jim Kirksey can be reached at 303-820-1448 or jkirksey@denverpost.com.
