Authorities allege arson at building
Man arrested after blaze displaced nearly 100 people
Kicking his feet up caused a Las Vegas man to be kicked out of the apartment he had shared the past two weeks and might be the reason behind a fire that displaced almost 100 residents, according to police.
Stephen J. Tyson, 50, was charged with arson and two counts of attempted murder for the fire at the Encantada apartment building the morning of June 16.
The fire took 85 firefighters more than an hour to extinguish and caused $350,000 in damages.
Tyson was angry at his friend who lived in the second-story apartment, at 401 N. 28th St. near Eastern Avenue and Bonanza Road, where the fire began after he was told he was being evicted from the secondstory apartment, according to the arrest report.
The friend told officials they were arguing over Tyson laying down and putting his feet up on his “prized sofa.”
After Tyson agreed to be out of the apartment by 7 a.m., the friend went to the back bedroom leaving him alone in the living room, the report said.
Some time later, the friend smelled smoke. He and another person could not get to the front door because of the smoke, heat and flames and exited the apartment from a second-story window.
Both of them were mildly injured from the jump and suffered smoke inhalation.
Police were looking for Tyson from the time of the fire until his arrest Friday for unrelated burglary charges and a probation violation.
Just before the fire, a witness saw Tyson leaving the apartment. Security video showed Tyson leaving.
The burglary charges stem from theft allegations, two days after the fire, at a Walmart on Nellis Boulevard near Stewart Avenue.
Tyson, authorities said, was observed trying to leave the store with $352.83 in merchandise through a emergency exit and was detained by Walmart asset protection employees until police arrived.
Bail was set for $20,000 each for on the arson and burglary charges. No bond was set for the attempted murder charges.