Man charged with setting fire outside downtown theatre said he just flicked a cigarette
33-year-old man charged with setting a fire outside the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Wichita told investigators that he had "flicked a cigarette" and denied any further involvement.
By KAKE News Staff
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WICHITA, Kansas (KAKE) — A 33-year-old man charged with setting a fire outside the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Wichita told investigators that he had “flicked a cigarette” and denied any further involvement.
Jeremy Wycoff is charged with arson and aggravated arson in connection to the April 10 fire in the 200 block of North Broadway. He remains jailed on $150,000 bond.
Crews responded that evening to the report of a fire outside the theatre and arrived to find a crane and roofing materials had caught fire. Smoke could be seen by fans at the Wichita Wind Surge game at Equity Bank Park.
WPD says crews were able to keep the fire away from the 102-year-old building. The roofing materials had been delivered hours earlier for the nearby AT&T building.
CCTV footage from the Orpheum showed a man on the sidewalk on the south side of the Orpheum. A newly released court document states the man walked back and forth several times to the insulation panels.
“The male is then seen standing next to and reaching towards the insulation panels and immediately a small fire can be seen as the male walks eastbound and then north down an alley directly behind the Orpheum Theatre,” the document states.
Two days later, fire investigators spotted Wycoff, who matched the suspect description, walking on Market Street. They detained and searched him, discovering items including multiple cigarette lighters and butane torches.
Wycoff admitted to investigators that he was the man in the CCTV footage from the Orpheum, according to the documents. He said he had flicked a cigarette and was looking for it.
“Mr. Wycoff was advised that a cigarette lighter was not consistent with the video and source of ignition. During the interview, Mr. Wycoff stated he did not mean to catch anything on fire but that he had just flicked a cigarette. Mr. Wycoff denied any further involvement.”
The fire caused $20,000 in damage to the insulation panels and $5,000 in damage to the Orpheum. As part of a planned interior renovation, the Orpheum will close at the end of May for about one year.
A bond modification hearing for Wycoff is scheduled for Friday morning. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 19.
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