ATLANTA — A former DeKalb County firefighter has been arrested and charged with arson after investigators say he burned down a house.
Jeremy Lyons is accused of breaking into a home on Willow Wood Circle in southeast Atlanta around 3 a.m. Feb. 19 and setting it on fire.
"I think it's horrendous that he would do that," said a neighbor said who did not want to be identified.
She recalled the moment she saw flames devouring her neighbor's home.
"I was totally blown away that it was next door. I could feel the heat. I could see it. It was very scary," the neighbor said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Georgia Army photographer's chilling last picture was of the bomb blast that killed her
- Family sees 'sign from heaven' at site of deadly crash
- Atlanta man, girlfriend's hands bound during murder in Belize
Lyons allegedly broke in through the back of the property. Detectives believe he used an accelerant to set the house of fire.
Sources say Lyons was mad at his ex-girlfriend and went to her new boyfriend's house to set it on fire.
He was arrested Friday at his job, where he serves as as emergency medical technician. He was since bonded out of jail.
DeKalb fire officials say he resigned in January of 2015 for non-disciplinary reasons after serving for nearly a decade.
Lyons is also charged with animal cruelty because the fire he is accused of setting killed a cat.
DeKalb and Atlanta fire officials are both working the case.
Cox Media Group
