Cañon City man accused of lighting apartment on fire with a teen girl inside now in custody
CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) - A man accused of lighting an apartment on fire with a teen girl inside is now in custody, the Cañon City Police Department (CCPD) announced Thursday afternoon.
According to police, 30-year-old Vincent James Wicke was wanted for multiple charges, including 1st Degree Arson, Burglary, and Child Abuse. The CCPD said a 15-year-old girl was inside the apartment at the time of the fire. Investigators said no one was injured in the incident, though.
The CCPD said their detectives coordinated with the Colorado Springs Police Department to arrest Wicke in Colorado Springs.
As the search was on for Wicke, law enforcement made a point to emphasize that anyone who was helping him avoid apprehension, harboring him, concealing him, providing transportation or other resources, or warning him of discovery could and would be charged as an accessory to each of his charges.
According to the CCPD, officers responded to a domestic disturbance just before 4 a.m. on Sept. 11 in the 500 block of Yale Ave. Shortly after arriving, the officers located two fires at the apartment and extinguished them. One fire was on the porch and the other was in a closet inside the apartment.
After interviewing who was determined to be the victim of a domestic violence incident at the apartment, officers determined the suspect had assaulted the primary victim and then attempted to set the apartment on fire while a 15-year-old girl was still inside, the CCPD said. That suspect was identified as Vincent Wicke. He had left the scene before officers arrived.
According to the CCPD, during the investigation, detectives were able to develop probable cause to charge Wicke with the following:
- 1st Degree Burglary – Felony3
- 1st Degree Arson – Felony3
- 3rd Degree Assault – Misdemeanor1
- Child Abuse resulting in no injury – Misdemeanor2
- Reckless Endangerment – Misdemeanor2
- Criminal Mischief (less than $300)
