Ohio Man Accused Of Setting House On Fire With Mother Trapped Inside

Investigators believe drugs may be involved in the case of an Ohio man who was found holding a hatchet and knife inside a burning home while his mother was trapped upstairs, officials said.

Around 1:45 a.m. on April 8, police in Bridgeport responded to a call for assistance at a burning home in Martins Ferry, WTRF reported.

“Our officer arrived, made entry into the home, tried to go upstairs, was turned back from heavy smoke in the house. He walked out of the house to see if he could make entry with a ladder, was unsuccessful,” Bridgeport Police Chief John Bumba said, according to The Intelligencer.

The officer heard someone in the home’s kitchen and found Ricky Linde, 50, armed with the knife and hatchet, Bumba said.

When Linde allegedly came toward the officer, Bumba said Linde refused orders to drop the knife and hatchet, exited the residence and walked across railroad tracks and down a highway.

“State Patrol, the sheriff’s department and Bellaire PD arrived and he was tasered once again, which did not affect him again. He was tasered a fourth time by the highway patrol, which was successful to get him down on the ground,” Bumba said.

Emergency responders were able to rescue the suspect’s mother from her burning home unharmed.

Linde faces multiple charges related to arson, resisting arrest and domestic violence, online records show.

Bumba said he suspected drug use may have been involved in the incident, according to The Intelligencer.

Linde was being held at the Belmont County jail.