A man is accused of attempting to light his mother’s home ablaze during a dispute over the weekend.
David C. Honea Jr., 37, of Bristol Township’s Fairless Hills section, was charged early Sunday morning with attempted arson of an inhabited building, arson, terroristic threats, and simple assault.
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Bristol Township police said they were called Saturday evening to the Fairless Hills home on Pheasant Lane where Honea lived with his family for a reported dispute. Officers arrived to find the “overwhelming odor” of gasoline, according to court papers.
An officer convinced Honea to come upstairs from the basement. Honea was holding a TV remote and two cigarette lighters. In addition, he was sweating profusely and smelled like gas when the 37 year old was taken into custody, police said.
Honea told officers he was just trimming the backyard, police said.
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Honea’s mother relayed that her son poured gas on the back window and siding of the house after a disagreement. He tried to light the gas but it did not catch, police said.
“If you call the police, I am going to set the house on fire,” he reportedly told his mother.
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At that point, he poured gas on the house. His sister, brother-in-law, and their three kids were in the house along with his special needs sister, police said.
Earlier in the day, Honea allegedly threw his special needs sister’s bicycle in the garage and started throwing other items around. His mother asked him to leave and he did. A bit later, he returned and kicked in the back door, police said.
Honea’s mother told police he has become “violent and unpredictable” since his father died in 2018, police said.
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On-call District Judge William Benz sent Honea to prison on 10 percent of $15,000 bail.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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