ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A grand jury in North Carolina has indicted a man for attempted voluntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with a fire which destroyed a historic building.
The Asheville Citizen Times reports a Buncombe County grand jury also indicted 40-year-old Justin Edward Caristo for first-degree arson in connection with the fire at the old French Broad Elementary School last February. The school had been converted to studio and living space for artists, and that Caristo lived there as did three others.
Caristo’s defense attorney, Stephen P. Lindsay, says his client is undergoing psychological evaluation. Lindsay called District Attorney Todd Williams’ decision to bring the attempted manslaughter charge “just wrong” due to his client’s “emotional issues.”
Caristo is being held at the Buncombe County jail under a $295,000 secured bond.
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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com
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