Man arrested for arson, attempted murder after allegedly seen leaving house fire with gas can

Deputies have arrested a man in connection with a damaging house fire near Pueblo early Sunday morning.

The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office says 44-year-old Victor Mcentire was arrested for attempted murder and arson after he allegedly set fire to a home with three people inside. The fire happened in the 100 block of Santa Rosa in the Salt Creek neighborhood southeast of Pueblo.

Mcentire was identified by witnesses, who reportedly saw him walking away from the burning home around 3 a.m. carrying a gas can.

The fire woke one of the residents up, who told deputies later that he was overcome by smoke but managed to get out through a back door. The sound of his coughing woke up another resident, who realized the home was on fire and got his wife up. The couple escaped out a back window.

Pueblo Rural Fire was able to quickly get the fire out, but the damage was so extensive, Pueblo Regional Building condemned the home.

Deputies say Mcentire was at the home a few hours before the fire, where he got in a fight with someone else there.

He was booked in the Pueblo County Jail on three counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree arson and criminal mischief.

The sheriff's office was looking for 46-year-old Patrick Franco and 49-year-old Lori Chavez for questioning in the case. They announced Monday morning they had located both. Chavez was arrested for allegedly carrying meth, while Franco was questioned and released. Neither has been named a suspect in the case.