Lebanon fire captain admits to arson

LEBANON, Ind. (Reporter) - A Lebanon Fire Department captain has admitted setting fire to his home, according to court documents.

David Saulmon, 43, told investigators he set fire to a sock and dropped it onto a pile of clothes in the laundry room of his home at 1231 W. CR 300 N, Lebanon, about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7, arson investigator Timothy Murray of the Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office said at a probable cause hearing Thursday.

Saulmon is charged with arson with intent to defraud and with insurance fraud, with bond set at $10,000. Both charges carry sentences of two to eight years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

As of Monday evening, however, Saulmon had not been arrested because he was immediately taken to a mental health facility after his confession due to his emotional state.

Monday afternoon, Mayor Huck Lewis and Councilman Steve Large, following an executive session of the Board of Works, ordered Saulmon suspended without pay indefinitely; he was allowed to keep his medical insurance, so long as he makes premium payments.

Saulmon was apparently distraught over gambling debts, investigators said.

There had been speculation Saulmon set the fire "because he appears to gamble a lot, and he's also been accused, in recent years, of cheating during some card games," Zionsville Police Department Capt. Doug Gauthier said at the hearing.

Saulmon confessed during an interview at the Zionsville Police Department on Oct. 13, Murray testified.

This comes from 24-Hour News 8's news partner, The Lebanon Reporter .