Longmont Man Facing Attempted Murder Charges In Arson Case
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- A Longmont man is facing attempted murder and arson charges in a fire that left his neighbor's home badly damaged. Police believe he was using a bath salt drug at the time.
Demian Weigle is accused of starting his neighbor's home on fire July 16. Investigators believe the drug caused him to be paranoid that his neighbor was tracking him.
Weigle, 42, is accused of starting the fire that badly damaged the home where a family of three lived. The family inside was able to escape unharmed from their burning home through a side window.
Firefighters rushed to the home at 534 Bowen Street in Longmont at about 5:32 a.m. July 16. Crews smelled gasoline in the area of the burned front door and in the area of the burned southeast door.
Outside firefighters found a partially burned five gallon plastic gas container.
Weigle lived at 536 Bowen Street next to the home when the fire started.
A woman who knew Weigle told investigators that he had started using a drug he got off the internet called "Black Ice." She told investigators that she saw a noticeable change in Weigle's behavior and that he had become paranoid.
The woman told police that Weigle began thinking his phone and computer were being traced or tracked and that his neighbors were the ones responsible.
She said that she asked Weigle to get rid of the drug he had left and that he poured the white crystalline-type powder down the sink. Weigle told her he would mix it with water or juice and then drink it. He also told her he had stopped using it but was apparently lying about that.
Weigle apparently drove to Laramie, Wyo. the day the fire was started. He told police that he could not have started the fire because he was in Wyoming.
Weigle did admit to police that he thought his neighbor may have hacked his computer and phones but said he would never burn down their home.
RELATED LINK: Weigle Arrest Affidavit
