Ansonia Man Charged With Arson

An Ansonia man was charged with arson and reckless endangerment in connection to a fire at his house on Marshall Lane Monday.

Steven Weidler, 50, of 3 Marshall Lane, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree arson and second-degree reckless endangerment.

His bond was set at $100,000 pending an April 12 court appearance.

Ansonia police received several 911 calls at 4:09 p.m. for a house fire at Weidler’s address. Click here for a Valley Indy story from the scene. 

Firefighters saw smoke and flames coming from the house.

Firefighters quickly deduced this wasn’t a routine fire.

Slippery oil slicks coated the floor in parts of the house. The place reeked of diesel or home heating fuel.

Luckily no one was hurt.

There were at least four separate and distinct” spots in the house where fires had been set, according to a statement Tuesday from Ansonia police Lt. Andrew Cota.

A five-gallon bucket with suspected heating oil was found in a bedroom.

The heating oil tank in the garage appeared to have been drilled through, according to police.

Police officers initially responding to the call said there were people standing outside the residence as it burned.

The allegedly told police they had arrived about 10 minutes earlier, and saw oil pouring from the tank in the garage.

Weidler was inside the house alone, they said.

A witness walked into the house and observed oil all over the kitchen floor as well as the refrigerator, counter tops and kitchen sink.”

Weidler was also covered in oil, the witness told police.

Weidler left the house as witnesses spotted smoke coming from the back of the structure.

Weidler was picked up a short time later walking down a road in Woodbridge.

He reeked of a petroleum-based product,” police said.

The police statement did not offer a motive for the crime.

Weidler has no criminal convictions and no other cases pending, according to a search of the state’s court database.

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