A Colorado man was arrested this week and charged with arson for setting his mom's house on fire after he used a propane torch to remove cobwebs from underneath the home.
Jon Charles Streckenbach, 39, was booked into the Boulder County Jail on November 1 and was charged with felony criminal mischief and violation of a protection order.
The Man was Cleaning Up Cobwebs with a Propane Torch
On Monday, November 1, 2021, at approximately 4:26 p.m., the Boulder County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a structure fire in the 8800 block of Vermillion Road, north of Longmont in unincorporated Boulder County. Upon their arrival, fire personnel could see smoke coming from the roof of the single-story, single-family residence.
Streckenbach had been under the house cleaning up cobwebs with a propane torch when the fire flashed out of control. He attempted to put out the fire for an hour by himself before calling emergency crews.
The fire was extinguished by approximately 5:30 p.m. No injuries were reported. However, the fire created chaos and caused around $100,000 in damages.
The Man was Ordered to Stay 100 Yards Away from His Mom and Her Residence
Streckenbach was the subject of a permanent restraining order granted in September 2019 to his mother, Lori Streckenbach. Her home is in the same block as Monday's house fire, reported CBS Denver.
According to an affidavit, Streckenbach had been instructed by the court to stay 100 feet away from his mother and her residence, the Boulder Daily Camera reported. His mother told police officers she had been allowing him to stay at the home recently because he is homeless.
Despite the existing protection order, "Lori has been allowing Jon to stay at the residence for approximately one year since Jon is homeless," the Boulder County Sheriff's Office investigator specified in the affidavit.
The affidavit also revealed that a small bag of white substance was discovered in Streckenbach's pants pocket as he was being booked into the jail. Upon further investigation, it was found that the small bag contained methamphetamine.
