His ex-girlfriend wouldn’t take him back, so he tried to burn her house down, FL cops say

Officials said a fire that broke out around midnight on July 23 in Spring Hill might have been intentional. Now deputies believe they know who started it.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that 26-year-old Christopher Jamison was arrested Thursday for trying to kill his ex-girlfriend and her family. The couple broke up two months before the fire, deputies said.

In that two months, Jamison begged his ex-girlfriend to get back with him multiple times. One of their conversations resulted in Jamison telling her that “nobody was going to tell him that he couldn’t be with her,” according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

Then, Jamison said he would burn her house down if she didn’t agree to date him again. The victim’s brother was present for the argument and heard him make the threat, deputies said.

Investigators say Jamison started the fire by lighting the lanai porch outside his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom on fire. Deputies said Jamison was aware that his ex-girlfriend’s bed was on the other side of that wall. The fire spread quickly, according to a release, and nine of her family members were in the house with her.

Hernando County Fire Rescue was able to clear the home in the 4400 block of Chamber Court and extinguish the fire without anyone getting injured. The sheriff’s office said that Jamison contact the victim anonymously shortly after the fire and admitted that he was the one who started it.

Jamison was arrested Thursday and charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, arson to a dwelling and aggravated stalking. He is being held without bond.

This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 9:52 PM.