NY man tried to burn house down with victim inside: Police

(WJET/WFXP)– A Chautauqua County man is facing felony charges after police said he tried to burn another person’s house down while the victim was still inside causing serious injury.

Members of the Jamestown Fire Department were first called to an address in the 200 block of Fulton Street around 7:30 a.m. on May 19 for a reported structure with police finding one victim nearby suffering from burns and other serious injuries.

The victim had suffered severe injuries from the fire and from having to jump out of a second-story window after being trapped in the house by the fire and was taken to UPMC Chautauqua for emergency treatment and then transferred to another hospital out of the area.

Firefighters were eventually able to get the blaze under control with fire investigators later determining it to be an arson case.

Police later determined 34-year-old Eric A. Courtier of Mayville, NY as the primary suspect saying he intentionally set the fire knowing the victim was inside and arrested him on May 22 in Mayville.

He’s being charged with felony first-degree arson and assault and has since been arraigned in Chautauqua County Court pleading not guilty to both charges.

He’s now being held in the Chautauqua County Jail without bail.

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