PATRICK COUNTY, VA – A Bassett man is back in jail after he attempted to burn down his ex girlfriend’s house early Thursday morning.
The incident started around 3:40 a.m. at a home on Mills School Road in the Claudville area of Patrick County.
Video surveillance shows Daniel Shields Reynolds, 39, with a gasoline can and the occupied home being ignited, according to the sheriff’s department.
About 20 minutes later, Reynolds crashed his vehicle about 12 miles from the home and was arrested by the Virginia State Police for driving under the influence.
That afternoon, the resident discovered smoldering, melted siding and other burnt material on her home and called the sheriff’s department.
Authorities said Reynolds had been released from the Patrick County Jail just before the alleged arson.
“That fact that the home did not become fully engulfed in flames is a miracle, otherwise we would most likely be dealing with a loss of life,” Sheriff Dan Smith said in a Friday morning news release.
Reynolds is being held without bond in the county jail on charges of arson and attempted murder.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 276-694-3161.
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