Bradenton man charged with using Molotov cocktail to try to kill ex-roommate

A 51-year-old man has been charged with trying to burn his roommate alive by firebombing his bedroom, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Francisco Perez was arrested Sunday on a warrant charging him with attempted murder obtained earlier in the month.

According to the warrant, just after midnight on Oct. 4, 911 received a call about a fire in the 1600 block of 14th Street West.

The fire was ruled intentional and a criminal investigation found that Perez threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail through the bedroom window belonging to his former roommate who had kicked Perez out for having bedbugs, deputies say.

Deputies found broken glass, as well as an unbroken bottle of Corona beer, which contained gasoline and wick, according to the warrant.

The Molotov cocktail broke through the bedroom window and caught the curtains on fire, deputies say. According to the warrant, deputies found a gas can outside the victim’s home.

Deputies interviewed Perez on Oct. 8 and he denied involvement in the fire bombing. When confronted with witness accounts that put him at the scene, Perez said he was only there in an attempt to retrieve the rest of his belongings, according to the warrant.

Deputies searched Perez’s vehicle on Oct. 16 and found materials associated with the wick investigators had found at the scene of the fire, according to the warrant. Additionally, deputies say they located a receipt for $10 in gas and Corona beer that was purchased about an hour before the firebombing.

The victim told deputies that Perez threatened to kill him when he kicked him out and witnesses reportedly heard the threat, according to the warrant.

According to jail records, Perez is charged with attempted murder, arson and making a destructive device with the intent to cause bodily injury. He remains in custody in bonds totaling $207,500.