Man burns house to keep wife out, police say

Man burns house to keep wife out, police say

A self-employed lawn service owner is accused of setting his house on fire to stop his wife from moving in with him, police say. Kent Perusse, 48, was booked on charges of first-degree arson and animal cruelty. His dog  died in the fire, police say.

On Tuesday, Kent Perusse posed for his booking photo at the Hillsborough County Jail.

Tampa police said Perusse, 48, told officers at the fire that "I did it." He explained he didn't want a woman he was involved with to move into 5703 S MacDill Ave. so he set it on fire. Investigators found the single-story, wood frame house had been doused with an accelerant.


He also told officers his dog, a female pit bull, was still inside the burning house. It died.

Perusse was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he remained for two weeks being treated for smoke inhalation and third-degree burns to his calves.

He was charged with first-degree arson and animal cruelty. The self-employed lawn service owner, according to jail records, was being held on $55,000 bail.

The house, which was Perusse was renting, was a total loss estimated at $72,804 in damages.