(WHDH) — A 33-year-old man who sexually abused an 8-year-old girl recently torched his own home when sheriff’s deputies swarmed the neighborhood to arrest him, officials said.
John Leland Aquila, of New Port Richey, Florida, is facing charges including sexual battery-rape and arson, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies surrounded Aquila’s home on Sunday after a witness told authorities that they saw Aquila raping the victim in a bedroom inside the home, a complaint affidavit indicated. The victim later told investigators that Aquila had forced her to take part in various sexual acts over the course of at least a year.
The victim, who was taken out of the bedroom by the witness, had reportedly suffered severe injuries.
Before Aquila was taken into custody, deputies say they noticed smoke pouring out of the rear of the home.
Aquila allegedly locked himself inside the home and used a cigarette lighter to set fire to several mattresses, a couch, clothing, and a fake Christmas tree.
After Aquila was caught trying to climb out of a bathroom window, he reportedly told deputies that he was suicidal because of the criminal charges against him.
“He felt he was going to lose everything, so he did not want anyone to have anything,” deputies wrote in a police report. “He said he began to set fires in the home.”
It’s not clear when Aquila will be called to court.
An investigation is ongoing.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)