A man accused of arson for allegedly setting a boarding house in Niagara Falls on fire is now charged with attempted murder in an unrelated shooting.
Jerome Wingfield is accused of shooting Darius Washington on December 7th on the 200 block of 22nd Street in Niagara Falls. He has been charged with second degree attempted murder, first degree assault and second degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Niagara Falls Police say Wingfield was already wanted on domestic violence charges when he shot Washington, incorrectly believing Washington was in a relationship with the victim in Wingfield's domestic violence case.
Police say while eluding officers in both of those cases, he broke into the woman's apartment at the Niagara Street boarding house on New Year's Day and started the boarding house on fire. The victim was fortunately not home.
Wingfield was arrested the day after the fire, which injured two people and displaced more than 20 people. He, along with an alleged accomplice, 70-year-old Wilber Haynes, are both charged with second degree arson, second degree burglary and first degree reckless endangerment.
Wingfield lives on Main Street in Niagara Falls. Haynes was arrested January 4th and lived at the boarding house. Police did not say how the fire was started or how Haynes is connected to the arson.
Wingfield is being held without bail in the Niagara County Jail. Haynes is being held on $100,000 bail.
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