Man accused of setting own house ablaze

A man has been charged with burning down his own house in Owatonna.
The Steele County Attorney’s Office has charged Richard Hernandez, 30, with first-degree arson in connection with the fire Friday around 4:15 p.m. in the Colonial Manor Park on 25th Avenue NW. If convicted of the crime, he faces 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
The blaze destroyed the mobile home estimated at $15,000, according to Marlin Kath, commander with Owatonna Fire. In addition, the fire caused another $8,000 in damage to a neighbor’s house and some out buildings, Kath said. 
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the home engulfed in flames. The fire department focused its attention on saving the other structures next to the burning house, Kath said. 
According to the criminal complaint, a person at MGM Liquor reported that Hernandez came into the store stating he “had burned down his house.” A police officer found Hernandez wandering around the Walmart parking lot. 
Hernandez reportedly began walking away from the officer when he was ordered to stop and lay on the ground. After the officer handcuffed and searched him, a blue butane torch was located in his back pack. 
Police took Hernandez to the fire scene where he told investigators exactly where he started the fire. He said he set the fire near the main door by his bed. He also said he wished he had been inside the trailer when he set it on fire. 
Hernandez told police that people are trying to kill him so they could take over his house when he died. He said he started the fire so those people couldn’t get it.
Police also spoke to an employee at a nearby Kwik Trip store. The complaint said Hernandez came into the store to buy cigarettes. The employee noticed a huge cloud of smoke coming from the trailer park and when she asked if he was okay, he allegedly told her, “I just started my house on fire.”
The state fire marshal assisted Owatonna Fire with the investigation of the blaze. 
No one was injured during the fire.

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Owatonna Fire received mutual aide assistance from Waseca Fire.