ORLANDO, Fla. – A man is accused of setting a room in a downtown Orlando apartment complex on fire earlier this month, according to an affidavit.
Police said they arrested Scott Ryan Weber, 48, after determining he intentionally set his Paramount on Lake Eola apartment on fire on July 5.
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When firefighters responded to the flames at the 415 E. Pine St. high-rise unit, they found a mattress pressed against the door, making it more difficult for them to enter and put out the fire. This is one of “many signs that indicated that this fire was arson,” an affidavit shows.
When investigating, officers said they also noticed the oven full of trash and all the dials on the stove ratcheted up to the highest settings, smoke detectors missing or tampered with, baseball caps covering the sprinkler heads, melted plastics and aerosol bottles, incense sticks and toilet paper shoved into electric outlets and a bag on the counter with a note reading, “Call Winter Park PD not OPD.”
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A neighbor told police they had heard “a lot of moving” coming from Weber’s apartment the night prior to the fire and these aggressive sounds had been a common occurrence since January 2023, according to the affidavit.
The building manager and security guard at the complex said they had received multiple complaints from tenants about Weber, police said. According to the affidavit, police had been called to the complex in reference to Weber’s behavior at least three times before his arrest.
He also had a previous criminal history in California between 2003 and 2011.
The damage caused by the fire was estimated to be about $15,000, police said.
Weber faces several charges, including arson of a dwelling, preventing and obstructing extinguishment of a fire and criminal mischief costing over $1,000.
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