Man charged with arson, attempted murder
Jan. 7—THOMASVILLE — A Thomasville man has been accused of setting fire to a residence while someone was inside of it Wednesday evening.
Jason Ray Weeks, 48, of Thomasville is charged with first-degree arson and attempted first-degree murder.
The fire at two duplex apartments in the 700 block of Kahler Street began shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday.
A man who was in one of the apartments later told police that he smelled and saw smoke but initially was not able to get out of the apartment because Weeks was holding the door shut and yelling, "You're going to die," a Thomasville Police Department press release said.
The apartments were engulfed in flames when Thomasville Fire Department firefighters arrived, and Weeks was still there. When approached by firefighters, Weeks tried to run into the burning apartment, but firefighters intervened, police said.
Weeks then ran toward Salem Street, and police officers found him running north in the 700 block of Salem Street. After briefly running after him, police caught up to and arrested him.
Police said no one was injured.
