LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. --
A Lawrenceville man is accused of setting fire to a home while he and his young daughter were inside.
On Friday, Roberto Fernandez-Centena, 45, took his 6-year-old daughter to the family’s former home on Daisy Court in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett Fire Cpt. Tommy Rutledge said. The home, which is under foreclosure, was uninhabited at the time.
Witnesses said they saw Roberto Fernandez-Centena enter the home with a gas can in hand. They said after flames erupted, the child ran to a neighbor’s house.
“Fire investigators believe Roberto was intending to cause harm to the child as well as himself,” said Rutledge.
Rutledge said the girl told authorities that her father set the house on fire and was trying to kill himself. She was treated for smoke inhalation and was being cared for by relatives, Rutledge said.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire, but Fernandez-Centena had fled the home before units arrived at the scene, Rutledge said. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
“Based on the circumstances, Roberto is considered a threat to himself and anyone he may come into contact with. It is unknown if he is armed with any type of weapon at this time,” Rutledge said.
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