An investigation into a firebombing at a Lake Wales insurance office has led to the arrest of a suspect by the Lake Wales Police Criminal Investigations Division.
Jason Roberts, 47, from Lakewood Ranch, was taken into custody following the March 20 incident involving the UniVista Insurance building. Roberts allegedly fired a gun and threw two Molotov cocktails into the building around 1:30 a.m. The attack also involved spray-painting the words “Civil War Trump” on the office window.
Lieutenant Dale Hampton of the Lake Wales Police stated that two flammable liquid-filled bottles were thrown through the lobby glass. A bullet hole was also found in the building’s wall, having traveled through multiple rooms and walls.
Surveillance footage connected a light-colored Toyota Prius to the incident. The vehicle was identified as belonging to Sarasota Pathology, where Roberts had recently been employed as a Courier Supervisor but resigned shortly after the incident following a no-call-no-show on March 20.
Human Resources confirmed that Roberts had no legitimate work duties in Lake Wales at the time. Additionally, Roberts is the brother of Regina Waldrop, co-owner of Logical Insurance, a competitor located in the same plaza as UniVista.
On July 17, Roberts was apprehended in Jasper, Georgia, with help from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. He now faces several charges including armed burglary of an unoccupied structure, possession of fire bombs, arson, shooting into a dwelling, felony criminal mischief, and discharging a firearm in public.
