A Texas nursing home resident now is in jail on arson charges after he set a fire at the facility in an apparent suicide attempt, according to local news sources.
The incident occurred at the Southpark Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Austin on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the Austin American-Statesman reported Monday. Radcliffe Finley, a 66-year-old resident, reportedly set a pile of newspapers on fire in his room and then twice knocked down a worker who was trying to get him to safety.
Roughly 30 staff members and 122 residents evacuated the building, and two workers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, according to the American-Statesman. The blaze caused about $5,000 in damage, an arrest affidavit stated.
Finley has said he was trying to commit suicide, investigators told reporters. He now is in jail with bail set at $50,000.
Southpark is part of the Regency Post-Acute Healthcare System. A Regency spokesman had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.
