Facebook Rejection Leads to Arson Charges | Fort Collins Lawyer

A man faces Arson charges after burning down a woman's house who rejected him on Facebook.
A man faces Arson charges after burning down a woman's house who rejected him on Facebook.
Image Credit: Pixabay – ivke32

Rejection is hard to take and people respond to it very differently. One man took it to an extreme level when he allegedly burned down the house of a woman who turned him down on Facebook. The man was attempting to start a relationship with a woman who was an acquaintance, but the single mother indicated she was not interested. In response to her disinterest, he went to her home, found an unlocked door, and started a fire in the woman’s bedroom. Luckily, the woman and her son were not home at the time. Now, the man and is facing Burglary and Arson charges.

What is Burglary in Fort Collins?

Most people think Burglary has an element of Theft in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park. However, Theft does not always have to be involved. C.R.S 18-4-203 – Second Degree Burglary – is defined by Colorado law as:

A person commits second degree burglary, if the person knowingly breaks an entrance into, enters unlawfully in, or remains unlawfully after a lawful or unlawful entry in a building or occupied structure with intent to commit therein a crime against another person or property.

Basically, Burglary involves two things:

  1. Unlawfully entering or remaining in a building with
  2. Intent to commit another crime

The intent to commit a crime element applies to any crime, not just Theft. In the example above, the man allegedly committed Burglary because he unlawfully entered the woman’s home in order to set it on fire. Just the unlawful entry would be Trespassing, but with the added Arson crime, it becomes Burglary. 2nd Degree Burglary is a class 4 felony, but becomes a class 3 felony if it is the Burglary of a dwelling (home), like in the case above.

What is Arson in Larimer County?

Colorado law defines C.R.S. 18-4-102 – First Degree Arson – as:

A person who knowingly sets fire to, burns, causes to be burned, or by the use of any explosive damages or destroys, or causes to be damaged or destroyed, any building or occupied structure of another without his consent commits first degree arson.

The man above is accused of purposely setting fire to the woman’s house. A house is considered an occupied structure, which is why it would be considered 1st Degree Arson, a class 3 felony in Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County.

At the O’Malley Law Office, our lawyers will fight to make sure accusations of Arson or Burglary do not ruin your life.  We are full-time, experienced criminal defense attorneys serving Northern Colorado and Larimer County, and we care about your future.  If you are contacted by the police regarding criminal charges, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us today 970-658-0007.  Together, we can protect your future.