Newhall Man Pours Gasoline And Threatens To Light Himself On Fire To Avoid Arrest

A man poured gasoline on himself and threatened to light himself on fire in attempts to avoid arrest Saturday, resulting in four deputies  being taken to the hospital.

On Saturday, deputies responded to the 23700 block of Valle Del Oro in Newhall regarding a man violating a restraining order, said Deputy Robert Jensen, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

The suspect reportedly poured gasoline on himself and threatened to light himself on fire to avoid being arrested, according to Jensen.

“The deputies who handled this incident were treated for gasoline exposure. Yet another example of the caliber of deputies we have in SCV, trained to handle this situation and did so without excessive force, putting themselves in extreme danger,” Jensen said.

The four deputies and the suspect were taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to Jensen.

Sameeramenuk  Sellahennadige, 44 from Newhall, was arrested for attempted arson and resisting arrest, according to Jensen.

The suspect was transported to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station jail and remains in custody as of Wednesday morning.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .