Boulder man sentenced to probation in attempted arson, menacing case

A Boulder man accused of trying to light his Goss Grove apartment unit on fire was sentenced to probation as part of a plea agreement.

John Angell, 43, pleaded guilty to felony menacing and criminal mischief and was sentenced to two years of probation, according to court records.

Prosecutors dismissed the remaining counts, including attempted first-degree arson.

According to an affidavit and Boulder police officials, firefighters and officers were called to a Goss Grove apartment complex at 10:50 p.m. June 19 for a report of a possible structure fire.

As residents were evacuating, officers were able to determine smoke was coming from one unit. When officers went to the unit, they found Angell inside with a knife threatening to burn down the apartment, but there were no visible flames at the time.

When Angell did not drop the knife and began to walk toward officers, one officer fired a bean bag round at Angell’s leg, leading Angell to close the door on officers.

After an hour of negotiations, Angell surrendered to police.

Fire investigators found that Angell had torn away the drywall on part of the ceiling and attempted to light the insulation on fire. They also found a pile of burning papers and plastic cords on a couch, and the oven had also been turned on and left open.

Neighbors told police they had heard Angell saying he “wanted to burn this place down” and “shoot up” the complex before they noticed smoke coming from his unit.

Police found an eviction notice on Angell’s window.