Man armed with crowbar arrested after setting fire, damaging businesses in northwest Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Police say a man is in custody after he allegedly set a fire in a residential area before causing thousands of dollars in damage to businesses and vehicles in northwest Colorado Springs.
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), at around 10 p.m. on Sept. 27, officers responded to a domestic violence-related call for felony menacing with a weapon in the 2500 block of Centennial Boulevard.
CSPD said that before officers could arrive at the scene, the suspect set fire to the victim's belongings and fled. When crews arrived, they provided aid to the victim and worked to contain the fire, which was threatening nearby homes, police said.
At around the same time crews were working to extinguish the fire, police say the suspect began breaking windows of nearby businesses and vehicles, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Officers followed the sound of breaking glass and located the suspect, 25-year-old Jordan Ahola, behind businesses at 3400 Centennial Boulevard.
According to CSPD, Ahola was holding a crowbar and refused to comply with officers' commands for him to drop the weapon. Instead, police say he raised the crowbar "in defiance" before advancing towards officers.
Police say they warned Ahola that if he didn't comply and drop the weapon, they would deploy K9 Riggs, which is when they say the suspect attempted to run.
The department said Riggs was then deployed. He pursued Ahola, securing his arm and forcing him to the ground, causing him to drop the crowbar before officers quickly moved in and placed him in handcuffs.
According to CSPD, Ahola sustained "minor abrasions and puncture wounds" from the arrest.
He was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance and later booked into the El Paso County Jail.
The department says no officers, including K9 Riggs, were injured during the arrest.
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