Deputies say man threatened homeowner with crossbow then set fire to the house

By CNN Newsource

Published June 29, 2021 2:24 PM

By Eric Grossarth/EastIdahoNews.com

BONE, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — Deputies arrested an Ammon man Monday night for allegedly threatening another man with a crossbow and setting fire to his house.

The incident unfolded around 8:30 p.m. when a man called dispatchers to report he was being threatened, according to a Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office news release. Before deputies could arrive, the victim said the suspect, Steven L. Judy, 45, set fire to his house then drove away. The victim was able to extinguish the fire on his own.

When police arrived, the victim told officers he and Judy have had an ongoing argument and it had escalated to the point Judy “threatened to shoot him in the head with a crossbow,” according to deputies.

“The (victim) was able to sneak away from the residence and hide behind a nearby propane tank until he noticed flames on one side of the residence,” according to the news release.

Shortly after Judy walked away from the scene and got into his vehicle. A deputy on the way to the house spotted Judy driving on Sunnyside Road and pulled him over. Deputies say Judy showed signs of impairment and said he had been drinking alcohol. A breathalyzer test showed Judy had a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit, according to deputies.

Investigators also found a crossbow inside Judy’s vehicle.

At the house, deputies saw damage to the outside walls of the house. It appeared the fire began in a dog house next to the home and a gas line into the residence.

“In talking with Mr. Judy, he told deputies he had been arguing with the (victim) and admitted that he may have told him he was going to kill him but said that is something they say to each other all the time,” according to the news release. “When asked, Mr. Judy denied any knowledge of the fire.”

Deputies booked Judy into the Bonneville county jail for felony aggravated assault and felony first-degree arson. He was also booked for misdemeanor DUI.

Judy is expected to make his initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon.

Although Judy is accused of crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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