Caught on camera: Samurai sword-wielding arson suspect’s aggravated assault on woman and deputy

By Luke Jones

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    HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A woman says the sword-wielding man accused of setting fire to her West Harris County home remained defiant when confronted.

Jackie Gray said her cameras detected motion around 4 p.m. Wednesday, prompting her to go outside to investigate.

Surveillance footage shows Gray’s neighbor, Phi Le Nguyen, walking up to her house with a gasoline can.

Gray said she found the can smoking, propped up against the side of her house.

“I just saw you and I got cameras,” Gray is heard telling the suspect.

“Yeah? What you gonna do?” he retorts.

Before going to Gray’s home, video shows Nguyen walking to a neighbor’s house with a gasoline can.

That house was also set on fire.

Both Gray and her neighbor managed to put the fires out, but surveillance footage shows Nguyen returning to Gray’s house and pouring gasoline on her driveway in a possible attempt to start a second fire.

“He actually started pouring it up underneath my truck. Then, that’s when he started pouring it all in front of the driveway and everything else,” Gray said.

When he’s done, he can be seen standing at the foot of Gray’s driveway. At one point, he swung his sword, which Gray said she almost fell victim to.

“He was coming with the sword kind of up in his hand, kind of like he was coming to charge at me,” she said.

When Harris County sheriff’s deputies arrived, they reported being treated to the same hospitality.

Nguyen was charged with aggravated assault for threatening both Gray and a deputy.

“He goes into his garage still kind of swinging at the police officers, and that’s when they end up tasing him down,” Gray said.

Nguyen’s bond has upped to $200,000 since Friday. He’s due in court Monday morning.

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