A Florida man with a criminal history is facing charges of attempted murder after allegedly setting his home on fire while his five roommates were asleep inside. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, May 15, when 69-year-old Eddie Thomas approached a roommate asking for a ride. When his request was denied, Thomas reportedly asked for jumper cables. The roommate refused again, noting the late hour and observing that Thomas was holding a plastic milk jug filled with an unidentified liquid.
Shortly after this interaction, the roommate reported smelling gas and hearing an explosion. Upon opening his bedroom door, he discovered a hallway engulfed in flames. The ensuing chaos resulted in injuries and near-death experiences for all five of Thomas’s roommates.
One of the roommates, who uses a walker, fell while trying to reach the front door. He was forced to crawl to safety, suffering burns on his hands and feet in the process. Another roommate was awakened by shouts of a fire and had to escape through his bedroom window due to the hallway being blocked by flames.
A third roommate attempted to flee through the front door but tripped over another roommate in the process. One of the residents was unable to provide a statement due to requiring emergency surgery for his injuries. The last roommate reported seeing Thomas walking around the house before hearing splashing sounds and smelling kerosene. He also reported hearing a noise that sounded like a fire being ignited.
Two of the victims reported seeing Thomas leaving the property in his red truck. Investigators found six potential ignition points in the house, which was completely destroyed by the fire.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Thomas as “pure evil in the flesh” during a news conference. He added that Thomas’s actions were “deliberate and dangerous,” putting multiple lives at risk.
Thomas is now facing five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. The landlord of the house reported that one of the residents had called her, claiming that Thomas had set the house on fire. Thomas, who had been living in the house since 2023, had recently been served an eviction notice for failing to pay rent.
Thomas’s criminal record dates back to 1975 and includes 18 felonies. He was registered as a sex offender in 2008.