Judge deciding whether accused Spring Fire arsonist goes to trial in Costilla County

A judge in Costilla County is deciding whether the accused Spring Fire arsonist will go to trial.

A preliminary hearing for Jesper Joergensen finished Wednesday without a decision of whether the case will go to trial.

Joergensen faces first-degree arson, as he’s believed to have started the Spring Fire, which burned more than 108,000 acres with at least 200 homes lost. The fire burned in both Huerfano and Costilla Counties.

In his arrest affidavit, Joergensen changed his story multiple times. First, saying he was burning trash, then saying he didn’t know how it started, finally saying he was grilling in a two-feet deep fire pit.

Joergensen’s visa expired and is in the U.S. illegally, and has denied intentionally starting the fire.

KRDO NewsChannel 13 went to La Veta, a town that felt the impacts of the fire, to ask people what they think of Joergensen.

Opinions were mixed, some saying they just want to look toward the future.

“Courts are going to do their job,” Mike Lacy said. “The best thing I can do is to put it behind me and look forward instead of in the rearview mirror.”

“We all do stupid things and I don’t know if this was one of them,” Marta Moore said.

While others think restitution is needed.

“He needs to pay for what he’s done,” Susan Lees said.

“My thoughts on the matter is you give him a shovel, a wheelbarrow and a rake and you put him up in the mess and tell him to clean it up,” Karen Bayci said.

The judge is set to decide if the case goes to trial in court Friday morning at 9 a.m.