A 53-year-old New York man is accused of attempting to set a woman and her two children on fire after pouring gasoline over them during a dispute at their Dryden home, authorities said.
Matthew J. Demming allegedly showed up at the victims' front porch shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday, violating an order of protection that had been in place, according to the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office. The confrontation escalated quickly when two children were present inside the residence on Schwan Drive, just outside Ithaca.
Demming began arguing with the female victim before allegedly grabbing a gasoline can stored beside the home and dousing it over the woman, her two young children, and the house itself, investigators said. He then removed a lighter from his pocket and was preparing to ignite them when a witness intervened, physically pulling him away from the victims.
Background
The incident sent shockwaves through the quiet town of Dryden, where residents described the terror felt by a family simply trying to exist in their own home. Firefighters responded to the scene and assisted with decontaminating the victims after their exposure to gasoline. Remarkably, none of them suffered physical injuries during the alleged attack.
Deputies did not disclose the relationship between Demming and the victims, nor did they elaborate on the nature of the ongoing dispute that led to the order of protection being issued. The ages of the children were not provided in initial reports from authorities.
The Investigation
Tompkins County Sheriff's deputies arrested Demming a short time after the alleged attack and transported him to the Tompkins County Jail, where he remains held on $200,000 bond. He faces multiple charges including second-degree attempted murder, criminal contempt, aggravated family offense—all felonies—along with two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
The order of protection that Demming allegedly violated suggests there was prior legal intervention in his interactions with the victim, though authorities have not released details about what prompted the original order. The case highlights how protective orders, while intended to prevent harm, can sometimes fail to stop determined individuals from carrying out violence.
Key Takeaways
- Matthew J. Demming, 53, is accused of attempting to set a woman and her two children on fire in Dryden, New York
- He allegedly doused the victims and their home with gasoline before being stopped by a witness
- Demming was already subject to an order of protection at the time of the incident
- Victims were decontaminated by firefighters but were not physically injured
- He faces second-degree attempted murder, criminal contempt, aggravated family offense charges, plus two child endangerment counts
- Demming is being held on $200,000 bond in Tompkins County Jail
What's Next
Demming's next court date has not yet been scheduled, according to the Sheriff's Office. Prosecutors are expected to pursue the felony charges aggressively given the nature of the alleged attack and the presence of children during the incident. The investigation remains active as authorities work to piece together the full timeline of events leading up to the attempted arson.
The case is likely to raise questions about enforcement of orders of protection and whether more could have been done to prevent the confrontation from occurring.