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OREM — A man with a history of mental health issues is now facing criminal charges for allegedly setting a house on fire while two people were inside.
Daniel Richard Johnson, 41, of Holladay, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with two counts of attempted murder and aggravated arson, all first-degree felonies.
On March 22, about 4 a.m., a fire was reported at 951 E. 1050 North in Orem. The garage was destroyed and "most of the roof structure was consumed and burnt," according to a police booking affidavit. An 18-year-old woman escaped the burning home by climbing out of a basement window, according to charging documents, while her grandfather was awakened by the fire department and also got out unharmed.
"Fire investigators found four gas cans in the backyard. They also found multiple ignition points," the charges state.
After talking with the homeowner, police identified Johnson as a person of interest in the case.
"In recent days, leading up to the date of this arson, Daniel had threatened harm to the homeowner via text messages, and had also talked to the homeowner and others about fires, and fires being started. Fire emojis had also been sent via text. It was also relayed to detectives that Daniel may suffer from some mental illness," the affidavit states.
Investigators also found surveillance video showing Johnson purchasing four gas cans, "identical to those found at the crime scene," at a nearby convenience store just prior to when the fire started, the charges state.
When Johnson was picked up by police for questioning, he was taken to the police department and placed in an interview room. While waiting for the detective to enter the room, Johnson was "alone in the room and started yelling, 'Hello. I did it. I burned the house down. This is me, Danny. I did it,'" according to the charges.
When formally quested by police, Johnson "admitted to dumping gasoline all around the house and lighting it on fire with BBQ lighter," the charges state. He was subsequently placed under arrest.
Johnson's arrest came two days after family members had submitted letters to a judge in a previous case, requesting that he be placed in mental health court. Johnson's sister and father submitted letters to the court, asking for help for Johnson, who they say has a long history of mental illness and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and has hallucinations, according to court records. The family members were concerned about Johnson being a danger to himself and others and asked the court for long-term help, rather than the continuous cycle of being arrested and released after a short stay in a psychiatric ward.
