AURORA — Witnesses say one of the suspects accused of setting a deadly fire at an apartment complex May 28 was determined to burn down the house of anyone who made him mad.
The fire broke out early that morning at 2301 Emporia St. Officers helped people get out of the building, and one person had to jump from a second-story window to escape the smoke and flames.
Aurora police have arrested Doug las Taylor Jr., 34, and Coy Dunn, 21, on charges of arson and multiple counts of attempted murder.
The two men now also face first-degree murder charges, after one of the fire victims, 52-year-old Jose De Jesus Martinez, died a week ago.
According to the arrest affidavit filed in Dunn’s case, Dunn told police Taylor was upset his ex-girlfriend had hung up on him and wanted revenge.
Dunn told police that Taylor, also known as “Dragon,” thought his ex-girlfriend was at the apartment complex.
After arriving at the complex, Dunn told police a resident there told them Taylor’s ex-girlfriend had already left, but that Taylor “wanted to make a point.”
According to Dunn, he and Taylor drove to a nearby convenience store, where they purchased a bottle of water, emptied it and then filled the bottle with gasoline.
Dunn told police that Taylor poured the gas on the stairway and in the hallway near the complex’s entrance, then used Dunn’s lighter to set the gas on fire.
Police also spoke to Taylor’s roommate, who described Taylor as a “fire freak,” saying any time Taylor was angry with someone, “he would say that he was going to burn their house down.” She called Taylor and Dunn “some crazy pyros.”
Taylor’s roommate also told police that Taylor admitted to her that he started another fire in April, which is currently under investigation.
The two men are being held in the Adams County Jail without bond.
