A Florida man identified as John King has been arrested for setting a hospital bed on fire while another patient was in the room, in an attempt to get a nurse’s attention.
In a statement released by New Smyrna Beach Police Department, King was accused of setting a plastic bag on fire on Saturday because he felt the AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach staff were ignoring his request to bring him his clothes.
The arrested patient said he asked a hospital staff to bring his clothes multiple times and thought the fire would catch their attention while his roommate was present. His roommate told investigators that he witnessed King light an object on fire and tried to convince him to put it out. He however returned to the room and saw that the arrested patient relit the fire and pressed the emergency button.
King who tried to escape through the elevator, was held down by a nurse until the police arrived at the scene. The suspect who was hospitalized for respiratory failure, has been charged with arson.
The hospital’s administrator confirmed the incident and also revealed that the bed was damaged beyond repair and a new one which costs $4,000 has to be ordered to replace it.
