A Janesville man was arrested after starting his house on fire following a standoff with police, according to a release by the city’s police department.
Officers were called to a home located along the 100 block of Cherry Street around 3 a.m. Monday. Responding officers arrived to find Raymond Gross outside the house armed with a knife, the release said. Police said Gross did not listen to commands to drop the knife and went back inside the home.
Police said they established a perimeter around the home and tried to talk to Gross over the phone about coming out of the house. Gross refused and a fire was started in one of the bedrooms, the release said.
Gross left the home unarmed as it filled with smoke, police said. The Janesville Fire Department was able to put out the fire. Damage estimates are around $15,000 the release said.