COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-
A man accused of starting a fire that killed two people and destroyed a 135-unit apartment complex has been ordered to stand trial on murder and arson charges.
Derrick “Nicky” Johnson, 24, is accused of setting fire to the Castle West apartments on Jan. 16 to get revenge on the mother of his child for breaking up with him. She was staying with a resident at the apartments when they burned down.
At a preliminary hearing that ended Monday, prosecutors called Johnson “a jealous man who burned a building to retaliate against his girlfriend” and then tried to blame it on his cousin.
Defense attorney Rick Levinson said the fire could have been started by a meth lab in one of the apartments, by someone trying to silence witnesses in a purported sexual assault or by angry by tenants who were being evicted.
Johnson is being held without bail. He is scheduled to enter a plea on July 18.
His cousin, Gene Johnson, 37, is charged with being an accessory and is scheduled to stand trial in September. Prosecutors have said he helped his cousin flee after the fire but did not help start it.
The fire killed Joe Santoyo, 52, and Clemente Perez Salgado, 32.
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Information from: The Gazette,
