Neighbor Takes Down Firebug Who Torched Doormat

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miguel Quintero was up and working Monday morning around 1 a.m. when he saw something suspicious.

A man who'd walked by his apartment he could just tell was up to no good.

"Right when I go to peak out my window I hear 'whoosh' and I see a big ball of fire come up, it was like a KISS concert," he said.

Surveillance taken at his neighbor's door catches a man in the act, a gas can in his hand as he set the doormat on fire.

Quintero acted quickly. After moving the burning doormat way from his neighbor's door, he chased after the firebug.

"I've got my sights on him and I'm like 'aw yeah I'm gonna destroy this guy'," he said.

A beat down he said he was going to enjoy, Quintero described how he showed the fire starter no mercy.

"I go back to my wrestling days, I put him in a head and arm and then flicked my hip up, there he goes pilot's license, boom," said Quintero.

It wasn't over yet, Quintero brought him back to the apartment where his neighbor's camera once again captured what happened next.

"He didn't want to walk so I gave him a little persuasion with that arm twist and he's like ok, he's up and he's walking, I put his arm behind his back put him in a chokehold. I'm like you're having a bad day buddy, you're going to jail today and you're lucky I don't hurt you more. I made him look at the door and I said there are two infants in that apartment, you got my wife upstairs, that's attempted murder," said Quintero.

The police arrived and arrested the man. Quintero said he wouldn't be surprised if he broke his arm. Meantime the family who's doorstep was targeted didn't want to appear on camera but told CBS4's Rielle Creighton that they didn't recognize the man on the video, but believe it's all connected to an abusive ex-boyfriend.

Police identified the man as 23-year-old Luis Menendez. He's been charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of arson.

By Rielle Creighton