A Pennsylvania man was arrested this week after allegedly assaulting a woman and then setting a fire that spread across multiple homes on the block.
Santos Mota-Ramirez, 60, is facing multiple charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault with attempts to cause injury, aggravated arson with bodily injury, causing a catastrophe and recklessly endangering another person after the Thursday, Dec. 26 blaze in Allentown, Pa.
Police were called to the 700 block of Cedar Street in Allentown just before 4:30 p.m. the day after Christmas, to respond to a domestic disturbance.
When officers arrived, they found Nohemi Guzman-De Santos with “visible redness to her face and neck,” according to a police affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Officers went inside the home and came across Mota-Ramirez “entering the kitchen from the rear of the residence and behind him an active fire could be seen,” per the affidavit.
Police detained Mota-Ramirez and the fire “then began to quickly spread throughout the residence,” according to the affidavit.
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Police said another resident, Niovel Lopez-Gutierrez, was in the basement when the fire started and became trapped after the fire engulfed the first floor.
Firefighters rescued Lopez-Gutierrez, who was taken to the hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
The fire ultimately spread to six adjoining houses, and more than 30 people had to be evacuated, per WFMZ. Temperatures reached below 20 degrees Fahrenheit overnight on Dec. 26.
According to the affidavit, Moto-Ramirez allegedly admitted “he was attempting to stab Nohemi to death” and started the fire.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 3. Mota-Ramirez has yet to enter a plea.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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