DENVER – A jury has convicted a handyman of intentionally causing an explosion that leveled a brick rowhome in Denver, injuring nine people, including himself.
KUSA-TV reports 57-year-old Todd Perkins was found guilty Friday of multiple charges stemming from the Aug. 14, 2018, blast near downtown, including attempted first-degree murder, arson and assault. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 27.
Perkins is accused of sparking the explosion after breaking into one of the apartments, pouring gasoline in several places and using a wrench to release natural gas from lines leading to a stove. Pieces of wood were thrown like sticks, and bricks were spilled on the ground in front of the one-story building as a result of the blast.
Prosecutors say Perkins was retaliating against the owner of the building, who had recently fired him from his role as a handyman.
But the defense said he is a scapegoat, and there is no physical evidence directly linking him to the crime.
