A 28-year-old Madison man is facing a Class A felony after police say he poured gasoline on his uncle’s front door in Hendersonville and set it ablaze while three people were inside the home. Alexander Oral Watson was booked into the Sumner County Jail on charges of aggravated arson and vandalism following the October 4 fire on West Harbor Drive, with his bond set at $900,000.
According to Main Street Media of Tennessee, the Hendersonville Police Department and emergency crews responded to the residential fire call, but residents had already extinguished the flames before first responders arrived. Officers reportedly found a scorched front door, a broken exterior glass door and other burn indicators at the scene, according to court records cited in the outlet’s report.
An arson investigator spoke with three people who were inside the home when the fire started, and one of them reportedly identified Watson, who is allegedly the homeowner’s nephew, as the person who set it. A surveillance camera screenshot reportedly showed Watson standing in the driveway holding a red gasoline can. People inside the residence said the doorbell rang just before 5:30 p.m. and that flames were then seen creeping under the front door, the outlet’s report states.
Arrest, Transfer, and an Alleged Confession Over a Missing Watch
Watson was arrested by the Metro Nashville Police Department in Davidson County and later transferred to the Hendersonville Police Department…