Man set his mobile home on fire, shot himself, authorities believe

Crews work at Carriage Way Mobile Home Park on Telegraph Road where a man died in a blaze he is thought to have set.

Authorities have not released the identity of a man they believe set his mobile home on fire yesterday and then shot himself with a rifle in Carriage Way Mobile Home Park on Telegraph Road.

The body was badly burned and a positive identification has not yet been made, Steve Kahle, an investigator with the Lucas County Coroner's Office, said.

An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Wesley Hall, 49, has lived at that address for at least seven years, records show.

Firefighters were called to the mobile home park's Lot 37 at 5722 Telegraph Rd., about 10 a.m. on reports that a mobile home was on fire.

Moments later, authorities received reports of shots fired.

There also were reports that children were inside the home, but authorities later said they believed the man lived alone.

Toledo police Lt. Bob Henry said it appears the man siphoned gasoline from his truck into a container and then set the mobile home on fire before shooting himself.

The man was found lying outside between the mobile home and a nearby shed. A rifle was next to him, Lieutenant Henry said.

Neighbors and authorities tried to rescue the man, but heavy flames began billowing out the back of the mobile home.

Jannifer MacKay, who lives near where the fire occurred, said she went outside, smelled smoke, and walked around to the neighboring unit on the other side.

Ms. MacKay said she saw "big clouds of smoke" coming out of the neighbor's home.

She saw the neighbor lying outside and tried to drag him from the mobile home, but said the flames were too intense.

"It exploded when I went to grab him," she said. "All I seen was smoke."

Benjamin Horlings, who lives next to the mobile home, said his neighbor was a maintenance worker in his late 40s who lived alone. He declined to give the man's name.

"He's a great guy. He's really soft spoken. He keeps to himself," Mr. Horlings said.

Mr. Horlings said his neighbor lost his job several months ago and suffered from Crohn's disease.

"He fell on some real hard times," Mr. Horlings said.