A man accused with lighting a fire inside a Kaslo business this month will spend Christmas in jail. A bail hearing for Alejandro Eytcheson Calderon will continue Jan. 3.
Police say on the morning of Dec. 5 a man caused a disturbance inside a local business by yelling and swearing. Staff told police they were afraid of him.
Later the same day, the man returned to the business, where’s accused of hitting the glass front door with an axe and then placing a gas-filled jerry can on the floor and lighting it on fire.
Police say a passerby tried to intervene and the two men struggled before the suspect broke free. He remained on the scene, pacing and yelling at the person who intervened, before running off.
Police located the man north of Kaslo on Highway 31 and arrested him without further incident. He’s charged with arson, break and enter, and two counts of mischief under $5,000.
He appeared in a Kelowna courtroom today, where his case was adjourned for a few weeks.
Kaslo RCMP are asking anyone who witnessed these incidents or anyone who may have video surveillance footage of Front Street that day to contact them.
Calderon is also charged with assault causing bodily harm in a separate incident in Kaslo on Feb. 11 of this year. His trial is set to begin in Nelson on Jan. 6.