MAN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO KILL HIS FAMILY
Posted: April 24th, 2012 11:36 PM
Summary of Event:
Today, a man was arrested and charged with attempting to kill his wife and children. It was reported he tried to cause an explosion at the family home. He is lodged in the Washington County Jail.
Full Details:
On April 24, 2012, at about 7:22 a.m., a 38-year-old mother smelled a very strong odor of natural gas and fled her house with her four young children. She called Northwest Natural Gas and it was discovered that an external natural gas line was severed and a large amount of natural gas was leaking under her house. Northwest Natural Gas turned the gas off and advised her to call the Sheriff's Office.
On April 24, 2012, at about 8:51 a.m., Washington County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the residence at 14532 NW Joseph Court in Bethany, an area of the Enhanced Sheriff's Patrol District (ESPD). Investigators discovered that the gas line appeared to be intentionally cut and placed into a position that would allow the flow of natural gas to fill the crawl space under the house with the highly explosive gas.
Sheriff's Deputies believed that the husband and father of the four children, ranging in age from three to nine, was responsible for the incident. It was alleged that 36-year-old James Speidel intentionally cut the gas line to cause his family harm.
Mister Speidel fled the scene and several Sheriff's Deputies began searching for him. At about 1:30 p.m., Sheriff's Deputies located Mr. Speidel hiding in a grassy area off NW Germantown Road. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of a condition unrelated to the arrest.
At 9:00 p.m., Mr. Speidel was released from the hospital and arrested. He was lodged in the Washington County Jail and charged with 5 Counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder, 5 Counts of Attempted Assault 1, and Attempted Arson. He is held on $1,000,000 bail.
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