Man Almost Burned Down Joliet House With 3 People In It: JPD

JOLIET ? A 43-year-old Joliet man now finds himself in the Will County Jail after Joliet police say he poured a can of gasoline on the basement floor and threatened to burn down the house.

Officers say that Raul Guzman Perez is now being detained on charges of attempted arson, aggravated assault and endangering the life or health of a child.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, the following events unfolded early Sunday morning in the 200 block of Margaret Street:

At 12:09 a.m., the officers responded to a house in the 200 block of Margaret for a disturbance. The officers learned that Guzman Perez was involved in an argument with his girlfriend. It is believed that during the argument, Guzman Perez poured gasoline on the floor of the basement and threatened to burn down the home.

Officers also determined that at one point in the argument, Guzman Perez had possessed a knife.

The victim?s two children, a 17-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, were present in the home.

As the officers were on the scene, the victim decided not to cooperate with charges for Guzman Perez at this time and left the home with her children.

Upon consultation with the Will County State?s Attorney Office, the officers returned to the Margaret Street residence later in the evening and placed Guzman Perez into custody without incident.