AURORA | A 70-year-old senior living resident in Centennial is accused of setting fire to his apartment and telling investigating deputies, “Take me to jail.”
Arapahoe County firefighters and sheriff deputies were called to the Centennial Crossings Senior Living Center at about 6:45 a.m. Feb. 6 after reports of a fire at the four-story complex.
Fire investigators determined the fire started at about 4:30 a.m. in the apartment of Gregory Wallace.
Several other residents in the complex were evacuated because of smoke. Once firefighters had extinguished the fire, deputies entered Wallace’s unit.
They were immediately met by “a floor full of water” and found a couch in the middle of the living room, “which was mostly black from some kind of fire,” Sheriff Deputy Dylan Snyder said in an arrest affidavit.
“I also observed there to be fire damage to the mattress inside of the bedroom directly to the left of the living room,” Snyder said in the affidavit.
South Metro Fire Rescue personnel on the scene said that because there were two points of ignition, the fire was more than likely intentional, the affidavit said.
Wallace voluntarily confirmed that, investigators said.
“I stared at the fire,” Wallace told deputies, according to the affidavit. “I know how the process works. Take me to jail, and I would like a public defender.”
Wallace would not answer any other questions, investigators said.
He was arrested, taken to jail and now faces charges of first-degree arson, reckless endangerment and first-degree criminal tampering.
The affidavit stated that Wallace is currently on parole for three 2012 convictions.
As of Tuesday, Wallace was not listed as an inmate of the Arapahoe County jail.
How much water damage did he cause to other apartments?
Did smoke alarms immediately alert authorities?
Three 2012 convictions for what?