Mamou Man Arrested For Allegedly Setting House On Fire

A Mamou man's bond has been set at almost a million dollars after he allegedly set fires at home and in a car early this morning. A woman and her children were in this home.

According to a press release from the State Fire Marshal's Office, 33-year-old James N. Rozas was arrested for allegedly announcing that he had set the house on fire. Fortunately, the woman and her children, one of which was an infant were able to escape the home before it was engulfed in flames. Rozas was armed with a gun, and he ran away wearing only a hoodie sweatshirt.

He was located in Kinder after the Fugitive Apprehension Team, aided by multiple other agencies, tracked him down.

While he was out and about, he is alleged to have stolen three cars from the time he left the house to the time authorities slapped handcuffs on him.

Rozas was booked into the Evangeline Parish Jail on multiple charges including the following:

One Count of Violation of a Protective Order
Attempted Second-Degree Murder
One Count of Aggravated Arson
One Count of Simple Arson

According to State Fire Marshal's Office Spokeswoman Ashely Rodrigue, officials have said that other agencies may also have charges that they will levy against Rozas.

Firefighter from the Evangeline Fire District #1 were called out to the 1100 block of JJ Street to find all of this unfolding before their eyes. At the time when this was happening at around 3 o'clock this morning, those fire officials called in investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office to figure out the circumstances surrounding how the house and fire were set ablaze.

Rodrigue says their investigators says there were several places in both the house and car that Rozas set fires.

Several agencies worked this case including the following: