A Sarasota County man will spend 15 years in prison after setting his family’s Englewood home on fire in 2024. Stancel May was sentenced this week, with an additional 15 years of probation to follow. Investigators flagged the blaze as suspicious after it caused roughly $200,000 in damage, and surveillance footage showed a masked man entering the home and igniting a king-sized bed.
The case turned on the family’s own courage. The mother who lived in the home with her children watched that surveillance video and identified the man as her husband. Assistant State Attorney S. Ethan Dunn praised the victims for standing up and identifying the defendant, noting simply, “He was her husband.”
The Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives investigated the case. For families here on the Suncoast dealing with domestic violence, help is available through local advocacy organizations and the Florida Abuse Hotline. If you or someone you know needs support, reaching out is the first step. What do you think about the sentence in this case? Let us know in the comments.
