NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk Public School teacher will stay behind bars. 42 -year-old Ryan Elza was denied bond in court on Monday.
Judge Joe Lindsey denied Ryan Elza’s bond, for now. However, he’s leaving the possibility of bond open, something the judge said he never does. He wants to hear more evidence at the next hearing.
Elza is accused of setting fire to a home in West Ghent on June 11. Authorities arrested and charged him with one count of arson to an occupied dwelling on July 5.
He lives across the street from that house. The Commonwealth’s Attorney told the judge Elza had an argument with the homeowner, Patrick McGee, in May about his wife’s car parked on the street. McGee thought it was abandoned. The attorney said on June 2, Elza’s wife’s car went up in flames. A security camera across the street caught that moment.
The attorney said Elza blamed McGee, but investigators ruled McGee was out of town on vacation.
On June 11, the attorney said investigators have video of Elza walking to the back of his apartment with lighter fluid and a bag of charcoal. Elza told us during an interview last week that he did not set the fire. He said he was cooking hotdogs on the grill.
“Because of the way it looked with video footage and my proximity, and I guess past issues with the individual, Mr. McGee, it kind of puts me in a situation where it’s like, 'Oh well, he looks good for this, so let’s go for him,'” Elza said.
The attorney said investigators determined charcoal was used to start the house fire, and they found pieces of a charcoal bag at the scene. He said when police talked to Elza, he appeared intoxicated and told officers to "take off their badges and fight him."
Elza's wife asked the judge to give her husband bail. She claims her car was set on fire on June 2 and that Elza’s arrest is a surprise. The couple lives together with their baby.
Elza's court-appointed public defender told the judge he thinks a lot of the Commonwealth’s evidence is circumstantial. He said Elza gave an interview in jail because he has nothing to hide.
The McGees said they are relieved the judge denied bond, but they did not want to go on camera.
Both the Commonwealth’s attorney and public defender declined to comment.
Elza’s next hearing is set for September 30 at 11 a.m.