No bail set for one of two accused of setting man on fire in Oct. 8 ‘Jungle’ incident
Two men accused of setting a man on fire at an Olympia encampment have appeared in Thurston County Superior Court for their bail hearings.
Kevin James Hinzpeter and Christopher Edward Snyder, both 31, have been accused of first-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault as well as possession and manufacture or disposal of an incendiary device.
Olympia police booked Hinzpeter into the county jail last Thursday and Snyder on Friday, according to jail records. The alleged crimes stem from the Oct. 8 incident at the encampment near the 3200 block of Martin Way East known as the Jungle. Police allege the pair confronted a 47-year-old man and set him on fire with a chemical, Police Lt. Lower previously told The Olympian.
Officers found the victim with severe burns across his torso and face, Lower said. First responders transported him to Providence St. Peter Hospital, but he was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, which treats critical trauma cases.
Hinzpeter attended his preliminary court hearing on Friday, where Judge Anne Egeler found probable cause for the alleged crimes and set bail for him at $500,000.
In doing so, Egeler found the court could not otherwise be assured that Hinzpeter would attend his next court hearings. She also found there was substantial danger Hinzpeter may commit a violent crime or interfere with the court case.
Snyder attended his preliminary hearing on Monday. Judge John Skinder found probable cause for the same crimes plus two counts of intimidating a witness.
Skinder ordered Snyder be held without bail pending trial, citing Snyder’s criminal history. Snyder’s adult criminal convictions date back to 2011 and include criminal trespass, assaults, robbery, bail jumping and violating exclusion orders, among other crimes, court records show.
Hinzpeter’s adult criminal convictions start in 2011 as well, but court records show they are all misdemeanor convictions. His record includes thefts, fourth-degree assault, protection order violations and more.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the Oct. 8 incident from the perspective of law enforcement.
An officer arrived at the Jungle at about 1 a.m. after receiving a call about an alleged assault. Several people had called to report a person was severely burned and bleeding after being doused with “homemade napalm,” according to court records.
A witness led the officer to the victim’s tent. On the pathway there, the officer reportedly observed a broken head lamp, blood on the ground, a burnt T-shirt, a plastic soda bottle and more items. The officer reported the bottle smelled like gasoline and the liquid inside did not match the color of the soda brand on the label, records say.
The officer found the victim moaning in pain. He reportedly was bleeding and had severe burns on his torso and arms.
The victim told the officer that someone named “No Shirt Kevin” had burned him with gasoline because “Kevin” believed the victim had killed his ex-girlfriend’s brother, according to the probable cause statement. Police believe “No Shirt Kevin” is Hinzpeter.
The victim’s partner told police she heard the victim meet with “Kevin” outside their tent followed by a commotion. The victim then entered the tent with severe burns.
Through the following investigation, officers determined another person known as “Mouse” was present during the attack. The statement indicates “Mouse” is the known street name for Snyder.
On Oct. 9, a detective reviewed a jail phone call between two people. The individuals allegedly talked about how “No Shirt lit somebody on fire” and “Mousey” was with him.
On Oct. 14, the detective interviewed the victim’s partner a second time. She alleged Snyder told her to leave the Jungle or he would use bear mace on her, and he insisted that she had accused the wrong person.
On Oct. 17, another witness came to the Olympia Police Department to report they saw four men approach the victim’s tent and identified “No Shirt Kevin” and “Mouse” as the “main aggressors” in the incident, according to the probable cause statement.
The witness reportedly said he saw the assault occur and went to help the victim after the group ran away.
“Everything was on fire,” the witness reportedly told police. “He was lit on fire and I could see his face melting.”
The witness reported the group returned the next day to steal belongings from the victim’s camp and interrogate them, according to the statement. Snyder and Hinzpeter wanted to know who had spoken to police and who else may have seen what happened, the witness reportedly said.
During this interaction, the statement alleges Snyder shot the witness with a pellet gun twice.
