Florida teen arrested after setting a friend and his pickup truck on fire

(October 4, 2025)  Yesterday, Florida’s Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO,) headquartered in Naples, announced the arrest of an alleged teen arsonist that left another teenager hospitalized and fighting for his life.  The arrested teen is also accused of destroying the property of multiple other victims.

Earlier this week, 18-year-old Jack Viola turned himself in to authorities after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with having intentionally set a devastating July 10 fire. Viola has been charged with two felonies – arson causing great bodily harm, and second-degree arson to a structure.

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Background: In the early morning hours of July 10, Viola was with a group fishing overnight when the victim’s truck ran out of gas. As the victim filled his tank on a residential street, some gas spilled onto his clothes and the road. Investigators say a video shows Viola intentionally setting the gasoline-soaked ground on fire with a lighter.

Reportedly, Viola set the fire as a prank on his friend, thinking it’d only be a small fire, and one easily extinguished.  But that was not to be the case.

The fire spread rapidly, and the victim and his truck quickly became fully engulfed in flames. The fire also destroyed the mailbox of a nearby home.

After the incident, Viola and his family moved to California. The CCSO Fugitive Warrants Bureau discovered Viola’s whereabouts and coordinated with agencies in California. On Sept. 30, Viola returned to Collier County and turned himself in at the Naples Jail Center.

You can see that fire in the video below.

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(Source and Jack Viola mugshot, Collier County Sheriff’s Office)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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