A convicted felon and registered sex offender was recently arrested for attempted murder in Central Florida after a house fire.
Last month, Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a house fire on Dawn Heights Drive in Lakeland. Upon arrival, it was confirmed that five residents were in the home, with two individuals suffering serious injuries.
During the investigation, detectives determined that 69-year-old Eddie Thomas, a resident of the home, was responsible for setting the fire. Earlier that morning, at approximately 3:15am, Thomas entered another resident’s bedroom and asked for a ride. When the request was denied, he then asked for jumper cables to “give him a jump.” The victim refused due to the time and noted that Thomas was holding a plastic milk jug containing an unknown liquid.
Shortly after Thomas left the room, the victim said he smelled gas and then heard a “boom.” He opened his bedroom door to find flames in the hallway. The victim has limited mobility and uses a walker, and as he tried to reach the front door – he fell and had to crawl to exit the residence causing him to suffer burns to his hand and feet. He was transported to a local hospital and then transferred to a hospital in Bradenton for burn care.
Another victim stated he was asleep when he heard someone yelling that the house was on fire. He tried leaving by running through the hallway but could not reach the door due to the flames and had to crawl out of his bedroom window.
A third victim advised that he also awoke to yelling. He fled his bedroom and ran towards the front door where he fell over another resident who was already on the ground, also trying to escape.
The fourth victim claimed he had gotten up to use the restroom and he observed Thomas walking around the house which he stated was common. He claims to have heard splashing noises, smelled kerosene, and then heard a noise similar to a fire being ignited. He then heard someone yelling “fire!” and left his bedroom but could not see the front door due to smoke. As he was running, he also fell. Outside of the house, he observed a trail of fire going from an oak tree to the front yard, leading directly into the house.
The fifth victim could not be interviewed by law enforcement as he required emergency surgery for his injuries.
All of the victims reported a strong gasoline odor and noted that the hallway floor was wet and slippery. State Fire Marshal investigators, along with their canine, detected six accelerant alert points and identified two pour patterns.
Two of the victims witnessed Thomas backing out of the yard in his red Chevrolet truck and fleeing the scene.
The landlord advised she had received a call from one of the residents stating that Thomas had set the house on fire. Thomas had lived in the house since 2023 without issue until recently. Due to ongoing disputes and failure to pay rent, he was served an eviction notice, requiring him to vacate.
The home was declared a total loss.
The suspect has a prior criminal history and was sentenced to 17 years in prison for 2nd degree murder in 1986 (see his lengthy criminal history below).
“This was a deliberate and dangerous act that put multiple lives at risk,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “Eddie Thomas showed a complete disregard for human life yet again when he set this fire, knowing the victims were inside. Thanks to our detectives, we have him in custody, and justice will be served.”
Thomas was taken into custody and charged with attempted first-degree murder (five counts) and first-degree arson.
