Roseville, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Minnesota man is accused of trapping his parents in the basement before setting the family’s home on fire.

A news release issued by the Roseville Police Department says the incident occurred on Monday. It states that Roseville police officers and firefighters were dispatched to a home in a residential neighborhood around 11:15 PM in response to a 911 call from a person who reported being unable to escape from their basement due to an active fire.

Roseville Police Dept. photo

The news release says the responding officers found smoke coming from the roof and a fire burning in the kitchen area of the home. The officers were able to enter through an unlocked door and extinguished the fire in the kitchen before firefighters entered to continue battling the blaze and searching the house.

The trapped residents and a dog were assisted by police officers in escaping through a basement window. Two cats were also found in the home and were rescued by firefighters.

Roseville Fire Department photo

Roseville police say fire investigators detected the presence of accelerants and other evidence indicating the fire was deliberately set. Officials reported that the arson suspect, identified as 29-year-old Andrew Michael Alvarez, was located and apprehended at a nearby gas station.

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A criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County Court charges Alvarez with two counts of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree arson. The court document says the entire interior of the main level of the home smelled of lighter fluid, and the knob for one of the burners on the gas stove was fully turned on.

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The charges state that Alvarez's mother described him as a heavy drug user. Investigators discovered a backpack containing his wet clothing, identification, and methamphetamine in the detached garage on the property. When questioned by police, Alvarez allegedly told them the drugs he uses "help calm things down" and that the investigator "wouldn’t understand."

Alvarez was formally arraigned on the charges this morning and his bail was set at $500,000.

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