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Palo Alto Man Arrested After Lighting Former Supervisor's Home On Fire

PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- A Palo Alto man is behind bars Wednesday for allegedly setting his former supervisor's home on fire over the weekend, according to authorities.

26-year-old Muhammad Khan faces charges of arson and attempted murder.

Investigators believe Khan set a fire at his former supervisor's home early Saturday morning.

A 9-1-1 call from a resident in the 3400 block of Kenneth Drive at 6:19 a.m. Saturday morning reported that their garage was on fire. Officers and personnel from the Palo Alto Fire Department responded to the scene, but another resident had extinguished the fire with a garden hose prior to their arrival.

Three people were inside at the time. One of them suffered a minor burn injury.

Investigators from the Palo Alto Fire Department opened an arson investigation immediately. Detectives were able to quickly identify a possible suspect, a disgruntled former employee of the male victim.

Khan was arrested Sunday night at his Palo Alto home. Police booked Khan at the Santa Clara County Main Jail for arson of an inhabited dwelling and attempted murder, both felony charges. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has since filed one felony count of arson of an inhabited dwelling against the suspect, with an enhancement for using an accelerant.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413.

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