Omaha man charged with arson after occupants locked inside home set on fire

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A day after he was arrested at a Council Bluffs casino, an Omaha man was formally charged with arson after police said he tried to trap people in a home before setting it on fire.

42-year-old Jacob Hansen appeared in a Douglas County courtroom Wednesday morning and was charged with one count of first-degree arson. The Class 2 felony charge could carry a sentence of up to 50 years in prison.

His bond was set at $250,000 and his preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 20.

He was arrested Tuesday at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs; was identified when he showed his driver’s license to get into the casino. According to court documents, Hansen was identified when he showed his driver’s license to get into the casino.

Court documents state that, prior to the fire, Hansen had been angry with the occupants of a southwest Omaha because he thought they were trying to have relations with his ex-girlfriend. He is accused of trying to trap them in their bedrooms before setting the house, located near 159th and T streets, on fire.

One of the residents escaped through a bedroom window. According to the affidavit, the front door was locked and deadbolted — something the people who live the said was unusual.

No one was seriously injured in the fire but the city has declared the home to be unsafe to live in.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine told 6 News on Tuesday that more charges could possibly be filed against Hansen.