Mesa police obtained video evidence in an arson case from the home-surveillance system of a man and a woman accused of setting their own neighbor's home on fire after the couple's dog bit the neighbor's son.
A police probable cause statement says the fire occurred several hours after a September 5 verbal confrontation between 36-year-old Michael Dietz and 25-year-old Sarah Danielle Saiz and their neighbor over what police said was a very minor dog bite of the neighbor's son.
Police said investigators seized video that showed the couple going to the neighbor's gate where the fire started and carrying paper and a liquid in a ladle. The fire caused extensive damage to the neighbor's home but nobody was home at the time.
ABC15 talked with Dietz and he says that he didn't do it.
"The house caught on fire. I don't know," said Dietz. "We went over there and we tried to help out. Called the fire department and rescued the pets."
When asked if he was just helping out Dietz said, "Yes."
Dietz admitted he had problems with the neighbor prior to the September 5 incident.
He was released on a $10,000 bond, but police don't believe his story.
