12 hours ago
Dilworth homeowner spread gasoline before house exploded, judge says
A judge ordered a Dilworth man accused of blowing up his home on May 2 back to jail without bond Friday, court records show.
Michael E. Barnette, owner of 1645 Lombardy Circle, will remain in jail until a June 27 hearing, according to court documents.
Mecklenburg County District Court judge Matt Newton denied the bond while revealing investigative findings that Barnette poured gasoline in the home before lighting the house on fire.
WBTV first reported the judge's statements made during the hearing.
Chicago police arrested Barnette after he arrived by Amtrak at the city's Union Station on May 9, The Charlotte Observer previously reported, citing an arrest warrant.
The home exploded and caught fire just after 6 a.m. No one was inside, but a neighbor and firefighter had minor injuries.
The homes on either side of Barnette's lot were condemned.
If she'd been on her front porch the morning of the explosion, neighbor Abigail Cousino told the Observer, she would have died or been seriously injured.
The explosion destroyed her apartment's front porch, and fire from the explosion burned through the roof into the attic, making it unlivable, she said.
