Suspect arrested following attempted break-in and arson in Coon Rapids

A man was arrested following an attempted break-in and arson in Coon Rapids early Thursday morning.

According to the Coon Rapids Police Department, at 12:03 a.m. Thursday, Coon Rapids police officers responded to a call on the 120 block of Xeon Street NW about an attempted break-in and fire.

The caller told dispatch that it could be his roommate’s ex-boyfriend breaking in through the windows.

Upon their arrival, officers found the caller trapped inside the home due to smoke and fire, and other officers arriving saw a white Honda Accord leaving the area at a high rate of speed.

Along with the caller in the home, a neighbor of the victims called 911 to report breaking glass, flames and seeing a man walking away from the house with a gas can getting into a white car.

Officers at the residence were able to help the trapped man exit safely. Police said the man was unharmed and the Coon Rapids Fire Department extinguished the fire.

Officers attempted to follow the fleeing vehicle but lost sight of it around 101st Avenue and Foley Boulevard.

Upon further investigation, police responded to a residence in the city of Mounds View where the alleged suspect was said to reside. Police found the suspect vehicle in the garage and, at around 2:19 a.m., 27-year-old Mark Allen Lacek was located and arrested for first-degree arson, attempted first-degree murder, criminal damage to property and fleeing a police officer.