Investigators: Man Charged With Trying to Set Loganville House Fire

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Gwinnett Fire investigators say a Suwanee man who was seen allegedly trying to set a fire to a home near Loganville has been charged with first-degree arson.

Jacob Dylan Pitman, 22, could get as many as 20 years in prison if convicted of causing the Feb. 4 fire in the 2100 block of Fall Creek Landing. No one was hurt in the fire, which caused significant damage to the exterior of the home.

Gwinnett Fire spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge said Pitman’s motive appears to be domestic-related, but specific information about the case was not released. The occupants were home at the time of the fire and escaped unharmed.

A witness told investigators Pitman was seen pouring a fire accelerant on the side of the house near the gas meter and then run into woods nearby. The witness said “Pitman’s clothing was on fire as he ran into the woods across from the subdivision before police and firefighters arrived,” Rutledge said in a news relase.

Fire crews arrived on scene around 7:29 p.m. As firefighters fought the blaze, fire investigators and police officers searched the area for Pitman, utilizing a K-9 unit and a helicopter, Rutledge said. They found him and took him into custody.

“Pitman reportedly contacted a family member by cell phone as he hid in the woods,” Rutledge said. “The family member was instrumental in getting him to abandon his hiding place and turn himself in to authorities. He was transported to the Gwinnett County Detention Center and booked without bond.”

(Photo: Arson suspect Jacob Dylan Pitman. Credit: Gwinnett Jail mug shot)