3 days ago
Charges: Roseville man set house on fire, trapping parents in basement
Charges: Roseville man set house on fire, trapping parents in basement originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
A Roseville man has been charged with the attempted murder of his parents, whom he allegedly trapped in a basement as he set the family home on fire.
Andrew Alvarez, 29, is charged with two counts of 2nd-degree attempted murder and one count of 1st-degree arson following the fire on the 2700 block of Matilda Street in Roseville at 11:15 p.m. Monday.
Alvarez's parents called 911, saying they were both in the basement when they heard a "whoosh." When Alvarez's father went to the top of the stairs, he found a fire that prevented him from leaving the basement and escaping the house.
The mother threw a bucket of water on the fire that allowed them to get out of the basement, but then they found another fire in the kitchen, and the main floor of the home was filled with fire. They both retreated to the basement, with officers then arriving to find smoke coming from the roof and the kitchen on fire.
An officer was able to enter the house through an open sliding glass door, extinguished the fire and then left the home so firefighters could conduct a search.
Firefighters found two more fires had been started in the home, both in bedrooms. The far-right burner on the gas stove had been turned all the way on, and there was also evidence of lighter fluid in the home.
Alvarez's parents were helped to safety through a basement egress window, along with a dog. Two cats were also rescued by firefighters.
The mother told police that her son may still being inside the home, telling police that he is a heavy drug user who likes to hide in closets, according to the complaint.
But Alvarez was not found in the home. He was later apprehended at a Speedway gas station nearby. Police found backpack near the home that contained Alvarez's wet clothing, ID, and methamphetamine, while a grill lighter was found on the deck.
His mother told police that Alvarez donates plasma to buy meth, the complaint alleges.
When arrested, Alvarez initially denied trying to kill his parents, but "shrugged in agreement" when asked if he set fires inside the home before leaving.
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
