A Blaine man reportedly set fire to a recreational vehicle where he and a woman lived in an attempt to kill her Saturday, then drew a knife on firefighters who responded to the scene and fought with sheriff’s deputies.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Spencer Morrison Langei, 29, into Whatcom County Jail Saturday, Nov. 2, on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree arson, brandishing a weapon and resisting arrest. Jail records show Langei is being held in lieu of $500,000 jail.
Shortly after 11 a.m., deputies were called to assist North Whatcom Fire and Rescue personnel who responded to a structure fire in the 8000 block of Fir Way, according to a sheriff’s office press release Tuesday on the incident.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find an RV that had been intentionally set on fire, according to the release. Langei remained on scene and reportedly created issues for firefighters, refusing to obey their commands and becoming argumentative.
Langei eventually pulled a knife on firefighters and threatened them with it, the release stated. One of the firefighters managed to take the knife away from Langei, but he reportedly continued to cause issues, and he fought with deputies when they attempted to detain him.
With the help of firefighters, deputies were able to take Langei into custody.
Further investigation showed that over the past few days, Langei had made statements about killing the woman he was living with, the release stated, and that morning he said, “Today is the day! We’ve been living in hell, but we’ll be happy in heaven.”
While the woman was in the shower, Langei purposely started a fire under the RV, the release said, and smoke was beginning to fill it by the time she got out of the shower. The woman reportedly saw Langei spray lighter fluid on combustible materials inside the RV and use a flare gun in an attempt to start the pile on fire.
The woman reportedly was able to put the fire out with a towel and escaped without injury.
Though damage estimates were not available, the release state that smoke and fire damage was extensive.
Langei is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 15, Whatcom County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gordon Jenkins told The Bellingham Herald.
Langei was already scheduled to be arraigned Friday, Nov. 8, for a second-degree malicious mischief charge, Whatcom County Superior Court records show.
In that case, deputies responded to the 3400 block of Birch Bay Lynden Road early Oct. 7 for a single-car accident, court documents state. Later reports said that there was a naked man standing in the road in the 3900 block of the road.
Deputies found Langei on the side of the road and saw him jump on the hood of a car that had stopped to check on him and try to force his way into the car’s passenger side door, causing approximately $1,600 worth of damage, documents state.
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