After setting fire to his kitchen and car, a 58-year-old Palm Springs man faces felony charges that include arson and carjacking—the latter involving a Kia Soul he swiped and then crashed, police said.
The man's roommate called the Palm Springs Police Department (PSPD) Friday at 9:11p.m. to report that the suspect, George Constantinos Scangos, intentionally set fire to their kitchen before fleeing the home in the 600 block of South Camino Real, according to a PSPD Facebook post.
The roommate was able to extinguish the flames. Just minutes later, PSPD dispatch received a call regarding a car fire at the 76 gas station at 670 S. Palm Canyon Drive.
"While officers were responding, dispatch obtained additional information that a subject, matching the description of Scangos, had purchased gasoline, dowsed his vehicle and then intentionally set it on fire before fleeing," the police said.
According to police, after burning his car, Scangos carjacked a Kia Soul near S. Palm Canyon Drive and E. Sunny Dunes Road as the victim reported to dispatch at 9:17 p.m. The victim's description of the suspect matched that of Scangos.
Scangos didn't get far in the Kia, police said. At 10:02 p.m., officers learned that the stolen Kia was involved in a collision in La Quinta. Following the collision, Scangos was taken into custody and transported to an Inland Empire burn center to treat his injuries.
Along with arson and carjacking, Scangos was charged with driving under the influence with bodily injury, according to the PSPD.