Advertisement

Molotov cocktail case results in attempted-murder charges

 
Published March 5, 2013

SPRING HILL — A 30-year-old man is accused of dousing a home with flammable liquid last week and then tossing Molotov cocktails at it with the intention of killing the four people inside, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

About 7:30 a.m. Feb. 27, Kraig Schoonover was involved in a fight with a man at a home in the northeast part of Spring Hill, according to the Sheriff's Office. Three other people were present. The Sheriff's Office would not disclose the exact location of the house.

Schoonover left, returning in the early hours of Feb. 28, deputies said. He doused the residence with the flammable liquid and threw several Molotov cocktails.

The damage was limited to the outside of the home.

Schoonover fled and was arrested Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service in Grant, near Melbourne.

He was brought to Hernando County, where a warrant was served. He faces an arson charge and four counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Deputies said the investigation is active and may yield additional suspects.

Citing the active nature of the case, the Sheriff's Office declined to release many basic details about the incident, including the nature of the relationship between the men and what they were fighting about.

Danny Valentine can be reached at dvalentine@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1432. On Twitter: @HernandoTimes.