By Derrick Miller
The Duncan Banner
DUNCAN, Okla. — Two felony charges have been levied against a Duncan man accused of starting a fire in the Stephens County Jail.
Carlos Castillio, 30, faces arson in the first degree and endangering human life in commission of arson. Bail was set at $10,000.
In an affidavit filed by Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Keenan, State Fire Marshal Judah Seppard said he thought the Sept. 3 fire was caused by “ignition of available fuel sources” identified as toilet paper and fabric cothing placed on top of the piping along the north wall area of the pipe chase. Fire Marshal Sheppard states in his opinion the ignition was from a recoverd orange-colored drinking cup with an arc’d metal disk in the cup, which would have created arcing sparks upon being connected to the energized circuit wiring in the ceiling-mounted junction box in the pipe chase.”
Castillio declined to talk to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department after being read his rights upon the inital investigation, allegedly telling deputies “I don’t want to talk to ya’ll. You already think I’m the bad guy anyways. I don’t like your justice system.”
His cellmate, Sebastian Matthews, told deputies Castillio and he were asleep when the fire started.
“There is a little window above the sink in our cell, and the smoke was coming out of it,” Matthews said to deputies. “We started putting stuff in the hole, trying to put the fire out. We put my orange shirt, some toilet paper and some other things in the hole.”
A charge of arson in the first degree can carry punishment of up to $5,000 and/or 10 years in prison. A charge of endangering others by commission of arson is punishable by three to 10 years in prison.
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(c)2014 The Duncan Banner (Duncan, Okla.)
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