Lake City, FL — A man has been arrested after investigators determined a residential fire earlier this year was intentionally set while a homeowner was inside the residence.
According to the Lake City Police Department, officers responded around 1:04 a.m. on February 18, 2026, to a reported structure fire at 324 SE Colburn Avenue.
When officers arrived, they observed heavy black smoke coming from inside the home. The homeowner told police her ex-boyfriend, 70-year-old Marvin Franklin Roberts, was believed to still be inside the residence.
Firefighters with the Lake City Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire. While searching the property, crews located Roberts inside a storage shed behind the residence.
Roberts was treated at the scene by Columbia County EMS and transported to HCA Florida Lake City Hospital for medical treatment.
Because of suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire, investigators from the Lake City Police Department and the Florida Department of Financial Services Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives launched an investigation.
Investigators identified two separate points of origin inside the residence, both showing evidence of accelerants. Authorities determined the fires had been intentionally set.
Evidence collected at the scene was submitted for laboratory analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.
Based on the findings, investigators established probable cause that Roberts intentionally set the fires inside the occupied home while the homeowner was inside.
Roberts was arrested and charged with Arson of an Occupied Dwelling and Attempted Felony Murder. He was transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
“Our officers and fire personnel responded quickly to a dangerous situation involving an intentionally set fire in an occupied home,” said Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler. “Their coordinated response ensured the safety of the victim and allowed investigators to quickly determine the cause of the fire.”
Anyone with information related to criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Lake City Police Department at (386) 752-4343 or submit anonymous tips through the LCPD TIPS line at (386) 719-2068 or Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at (386) 754-7099.
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