Anaheim : Man Held in Burning of Mother-in-Law’s House

An Anaheim man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of trying to set fire to his mother-in-law’s house, where his estranged wife lives, police said. Robert Paul Lee, 32, was arrested at 6:35 a.m. at his Minot Street home by fire investigator Bill Lane of the Anaheim Police Department.

Lee, who is being held at the Orange County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail, is suspected of smashing a window at the 1806 Chelsea Drive house about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and setting fire to the draperies, police Sgt. Gordon McConnell said.

His wife, Kimberly Lee, 24, her mother, Carol Lee Spence, 43, and Gayland Whitehead, 26, a resident of the house, were all inside, McConnell said. They reportedly heard the window break and saw the man running away, he said.

Police said the couple had been separated about a week. The suspect had allegedly forced his way into the house the night before and taken the couple’s 2-year-old child, McConnell said. Information on the child’s whereabouts Tuesday was not available, but McConnell said the child probably had been returned to the mother.

Lee had allegedly threatened to burn the house down and to shoot it full of holes, police said. The fire burned the carpet, ceiling and walls and caused about $3,500 in damage, police said.