Man accused of Lehigh Acres arson arrested, granted pretrial release

A man accused of setting his home on fire with family members inside was arrested Monday morning.

John Gibbons, 34, was arrested at 12:35 a.m. Monday for allegedly setting his own house on Douglass Street on fire Oct. 10, knowing family members were inside—six people, including four children. Police had been searching for him since the day of the incident.

Gibbons is being charged with six counts of aggravated assault, four counts of cruelty toward a child, one count of aggravated battery and one count of arson.

Following his first court appearance at 10 a.m. Monday, Gibbons’ bond has been set at $215,000. The judge granted him pretrial release with GPS electronic monitoring; he will have to surrender any firearms or weapons he possesses.

Gibbons has been ordered to have no contact with the victims, and to stay away from the Douglass Street address other than a single visit accompanied by law enforcement in order to recover personal belongings 

His next court date is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 16.