Man pleads guilty to setting house on fire, attacking wife

SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man accused of attacking his wife before pouring gasoline on her and setting the family's home on fire, pleaded guilty Friday to two of the charges leveled against him.

Christian Thomas Allen, 45, pleaded guilty to aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, before 3rd District Judge Vernice Trease in connection with the July 3 incident.

Additional charges of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony, were dismissed in exchange for Allen's plea.

The incident began when Allen's wife went to the family's home near 200 East and Hampton Avenue with her children to gather some belongings because they had been staying at her mother's home to take "care of her mother's diabetic needs," court documents state.

When the woman entered the home, Allen immediately started to push and slap her in front of the couple's children.

According to charging documents, he then choked her and poured gasoline on her. The woman and children were able to make it out of the residence and to the home of a neighbor before the man set the house on fire.

Firefighters contained the flames to one room, but the blaze still caused an estimated $40,000 in damage.

Allen will be sentenced March 11.

— Emiley Morgan