Westminster – The parents of a 15-year-old boy who is under investigation for attempted homicide and arson have been trying to get help for their troubled son.
It wasn’t until recently – after numerous evaluations and counseling sessions – that James and Linda Misegadis were able to find an expert who could diagnose the boy, said their neighbor, Beth Carson.
The bipolar diagnosis of the boy, whom The Denver Post is not naming because he is a juvenile, was an important step in trying to get appropriate treatment for the boy, Carson said. She called him a wonderful child who is very close to his younger brother.
District Attorney Don Quick said Wednesday that charges will be filed, but he has not yet decided whether to charge the teenager as a juvenile or an adult.
A defense attorney and a temporary guardian were appointed for him Wednesday, Quick said.
Within the past few days, the boy had returned home after running away and seemed to be doing well, Carson said.
James Misegadis told police that he had no idea why the teen would try to kill him. But he said his stepson had said he would be better off without James Misegadis, according to a police report released Wednesday.
Tuesday afternoon, James Misegadis was in the basement when he smelled a gasoline odor, the report said. He called upstairs but the boy yelled back that he didn’t smell anything.
The stepfather told police that a few minutes later he smelled a strong odor of smoke. He climbed the stairs to find the door to the kitchen locked, the police report says.
He called to his stepson and got no answer, the report said. At that point, he went back downstairs and crawled through a broken stairwell window and got out.
Police found a plastic gasoline container, a butane lighter and a Bic lighter in the home, according to the report.
Authorities arrested the boy at 11:22 p.m. walking about 20 blocks from his home along North Federal Boulevard. He is being held at the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center.
“He was pretty upset and in shock,” Carson said of James Misegadis. “He was crying for his son instead of being angry.”
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
