OKC Man Caught On Camera Trying To Burn Home With Former Boss's Family Inside

An Oklahoma City man is facing charges after police say he tried to torch his former boss's home with a family inside this weekend. And the whole crime was caught on camera.  

The victim’s family said the suspect had been terrorizing them for months, culminating in an arson that could have killed them all.

Police said home security video shows 35-year-old Wade Mason first slashing the tires of the cars in the driveway of the home on Southwest 34th, then dousing the cars and house with lighter fluid and trying to set the place ablaze.

Charlotte Dean was inside the home at the time with her family and dogs, all of them asleep.

“I don’t understand why people think it’s OK, you know, slashing tires is one thing but when you’re setting someone’s house on fire, that’s another. That’s taking human lives. That’s going too far,” said Dean.

Fortunately, the ground was still wet from the rain and the fire didn’t spread to the wood-frame home.

“He had apparently gone up and poured lighter fluid on a car then on the steps leading to the house. Tried to set them on fire, but there had been so much rain that as he would try to set it on fire, it would just go out,” said MSgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma Police Department.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Dean. “I was like, what’s wrong with him? That he would douse everything then set our house on fire, and just walk off like it was nothing.”

Dean said her son fired Mason a few months ago for not showing up for work. Since then, she said, Mason has terrorized the family.

“He’s cost us thousands of dollars in tires and fencing and securing our home where we’ve got to go buy more cameras,” said Dean. “He slashed tires twice, three times now. And that’s no big deal. But when you start setting someone’s house on fire and you know they’re inside with their animals and their pets, that’s ridiculous.”

Dean said her family gave Mason a place to stay when he was homeless, gave him a job and often gave him rides to work. She’s afraid of what might happen if he gets out of jail.

“That makes me scared for him to get out, because I know he’ll come back. Because he’s crazy,” said Dean. “I fear for my life if he gets out. I won’t sleep.”

Mason is charged with Arson and is being held on $50,000 bond.