He’s accused of throwing gas on people in his home and trying to set them ablaze

A 47-year-old Chapin man was charged on Tuesday with 3 counts of attempted murder after a frightening incident Tuesday morning that could have ended much worse.

Mark Allen Bell is accused of pouring gasoline on the floor of his Chapin home and throwing gas on others who were there while making threats, Sheriff Jay Koon said in a news release on Wednesday.

Bell tried to set to gasoline on fire but “ those inside the home were able to take a gas can, lighter and cigarettes away from him before a fire began,” Koon said. “We’re extremely fortunate that no one was seriously injured during this incident.”

Bell was being held at the Lexington County Detention Center Wednesday afternoon on a $225,000 bond.

This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 5:16 PM with the headline "He’s accused of throwing gas on people in his home and trying to set them ablaze."