Man pleads guilty to setting Myrtle Beach apartment ablaze with roommates inside

A South Carolina man pleaded guilty to second-degree arson Thursday and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for setting fire to his Myrtle Beach apartment with his roommates inside.

While heavily intoxicated in August 2025, 56-year-old Jake Licoski set fire to his shared apartment in the West Flintlake Court area before leading police on a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed into a construction site and gave a full confession.

“Age, lack of criminal record, or substance abuse issues will never mitigate what the victims went through that night, faced with death by fire, but luckily they are alive,” said Natale Corsi, the assistant solicitor who prosecuted the case for the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

All three roommates escaped the blaze through a second-floor window, but one woman suffered second-degree burns on her feet, according to an arrest warrant. The roommate was in the hallway to investigate the strong smell of gasoline when Licoski lit the fire.

Angry his three roommates were not renewing the lease because of his severe alcohol and substance abuse, Licoski purchased and filled canisters with gasoline the day before the arson, authorities said.

The forensic investigation found Licoski poured the gas on his roommates’ doors and both stairwells before starting the fire. One roommate and firefighters responding to the scene saw Licoski watching the fire from his car before leading police on a chase.