Man arrested, charged with arson in connection to weekend fire seen across Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Springs police say they have arrested a man in connection with the large structure fire over the weekend that could be seen for miles.
On Saturday afternoon, KRDO13's inbox was flooded with photos and videos showing heavy black smoke billowing over the city, seemingly coming from a fire at a building in northeast Colorado Springs.
The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) confirmed they were called to a fire at Beacon Building Products on Century Street at around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday. When crews arrived, they found a large pile of styrofoam and construction materials burning outside.
The fire department said the two-alarm fire was knocked down in about 45 minutes. Crews were luckily able to prevent it from spreading to nearby businesses, and no injuries were reported.
On Dec. 16, CSFD shared that fire investigators had determined the fire appeared to have been intentionally set. The Colorado Springs Police Department's (CSPD) Regional Explosives Unit was called in to investigate alongside them.
READ MORE: Officials believe weekend fire at Beacon Building Products was intentionally set
As part of that investigation, CSFD shared a photo of a man seen walking in the area of the fire after it began, asking for the community's help in identifying him as they believed he may have information about the fire.
CSPD says on Thursday, investigators spoke with witnesses of the fire, who identified 32-year-old Demetri Medina as the man in the photograph.
Based on that identification and additional video surveillance the department had recovered, probable cause was established for Medina's arrest, CSPD said.
Police say Medina was taken into custody at around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, after he was located in the 2800 block of North Nevada Avenue.
He's now facing charges for fourth-degree arson, second-degree arson, and harassment, the department confirmed.
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