BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Bradford County deputies arrested a 40-year-old Hampton man after they said he confessed to setting his own house on fire, which resulted in the death of two pet lizards.
Matthew Rodel Smith was arrested on October 10 for arson and two counts of animal cruelty.
According to an arrest report, Bradford deputies and firefighters arrived at the County Road 18 home near Hampton Lake to find the one-story structure fully engulfed in flames.
Nearby, deputies discovered a 2023 Toyota Camry in the home’s driveway. A dog and a cat were in the vehicle. The car was running with the windshield wipers on.
After observing the car, deputies assumed that a person was inside the burning structure.
Officers said the man’s wife and children were in Clay County because of approaching Hurricane Milton.
One deputy wrote in the report that he made contact with the wife, who told the officer she received a text message from her husband asking her where the keys to the couple’s Ford vehicle were because he wanted to move it away from the house.
After firefighters extinguished the blaze, a deputy saw an unknown male walking through the woods near the crime scene. The officer said he attempted to contact the man, who ran away.
After a short chase, officers apprehended the stranger, who was the homeowner.
Deputies said that when questioned, the defendant confessed to setting the house on fire using gasoline and a candle. He also admitted to putting the dog and cat in the Toyota and two pet lizards in the Ford parked close to the home.
The officer said the Ford was located in front of the garage door and was a total loss due to the fire. One deputy said he located one dead lizard in the back floorboard of the vehicle, and the other reptile was presumed dead.
Smith purchased the 4,391-square-foot home in 2021 with his wife for $499,900.
Bradford Undersheriff Brad Smith said the defendant did not explain why he committed the arson.
