Georgia Man Burns Down Neighbor's House Over Unkempt Lawn
A Metro Atlanta man is being sought by police after he allegedly set fire to his neighbor's house over the state of his lawn.
Authorities in Cartersville are warning that 58-year-old Phillip Roger Bennett has a criminal past, and should be considered armed and dangerous.
According to Bennett's neighbor, Marty Corbitt, the whole thing started about a week ago, when Bennett showed up at his home to complain about the unkempt grass.
"Slapped me across the face and said, 'Mow your grass," Corbitt told 11Alive. "My grass was too tall for him. I was going to cut it today, and then he set my house on fire."
It was Wednesday morning when Bennett confronted Corbitt again about the lawn situation — this time threatening to kill him over it.
"He kicks my door, tells me I've got five seconds to come outside," Corbitt recalled. "I turn around and call 911. And while I'm on the phone he comes back with two gas cans in his hand. Walks up to my kitchen door again, takes a gas can, smashes it against the glass, breaks the first pane. Then he turns around and grabs a brick, throws it through the window. And then he grabs a gas can and starts pouring it into the kitchen. And as he's pouring he takes his lighter and lights it. And flames were everywhere. I ran back to my little girl's room, grabbed her, ran out the back door over to my neighbor's and watched the house burn."
Both Corbitt and his 3-year-old daughter Kylie made it out of the flames unharmed, but Corbitt says the fire took everything else.
According to Corbitt, Bennett was a "pretty good neighbor" until last week when "he just went complete psycho."
