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SALT LAKE CITY — A man arrested after a house fire last week was charged Wednesday with attempted murder after police say he lit the blaze to kill his wife.
Daniel Boe Ivins, 33, was charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated arson and attempted murder, both first-degree felonies. Ivins was also charged with assault, a class B misdemeanor.
Court documents allege Ivins and his wife were arguing in their home, 377 N. 800 West, on the morning of the fire. Ivins reportedly slapped the woman's cheek, then punched her in the mouth, charges state.
The woman retreated to an upstairs living unit, where her mother lives with another tenant, discovering a few minutes later that the house was on fire. The woman's mother reported hearing Ivins yell, "I hope you die," when her daughter came upstairs, according to the charges.
Fire investigators determined the fire started when a love seat in a front downstairs room was intentionally set on fire. They responded to the fire about 8:30 a.m. on May 8 and discovered smoke and flames spilling from the lower level of the house.
The woman's mother reported hearing Ivins yell, "I hope you die," when her daughter came upstairs, according to the charges.
All four occupants had evacuated, and some were attempting to extinguish the fire with a garden hose. After the fire was out, the woman told firefighters her husband had assaulted her. Police were summoned and Ivins was arrested.
A Salt Lake County Jail report indicated the woman had a cut lip from the altercation with Ivins on the day of the fire, as well as evidence of a black eye and bruises that were several days old.
Ivins was also charged Wednesday with aggravated assault and domestic violence, both third degree felonies, after police say he repeatedly punched his wife in the face and head on May 5. The woman's 15-year-old daughter was in the house at the time.
Email: mromero@deseretnews.com Twitter: McKenzieRomero
