Norfolk, Va. - A man accused of setting his Norfolk home on fire appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Christopher Beaucage is charged with Arson and Threatening to Bomb or Burn. He was arrested after his house on Balview Avenue was destroyed by a fire.
Around 4:00 a.m. on October 2nd, a neighbor called 911 to report that the home was on fire. By late afternoon, Beaucage had been arrested and charged.
Beaucage told NewsChannel 3 he does not know who started the fire at his home. He says he was at his girlfriend's house at the time.
He spoke to NewsChannel 3 from jail back in October and he denies that he started the fire.
"No, I did not set the house on fire. Why would I? I love that house. I was trying to fix the house up," he said.
However, that's not what a witness told the judge in court on Tuesday when he appeared regarding the Threatening to Bomb or Burn charge.
Neighbor David Kelley says he was in his pool in his backyard when Beaucage started hitting golf balls towards him and a friend. When they tried to get him to stop, Kelley says Beaucage told him "Your house needs to burn."
Kelley also told the judge that Beaucage used the f-word and an offensive slur when making the threat.
The defense tried to question whether a specific threat was made about the house but the threat charge was certified to a grand jury.
Beaucage has been in jail since his arrest. Three neighbors were in court Tuesday and say things have been calmer on the street in the two months since Beaucage went to jail.
He remains in jail on no bond. He is due back in court on the arson charge on January 30th.
Related:
Homeowner charged with arson: “I did not start the fire. Why would I? I love that house.”
UPDATE: Homeowner charged with arson after Norfolk home is destroyed by flames
