A man accused of playing a role in an allegedly drug-related explosion that injured a woman and her son at a home in San Francisco’s Ingleside neighborhood last week pleaded not guilty to several felony charges during a lively arraignment hearing today.
A man accused of playing a role in an allegedly drug-related explosion that injured a woman and her son at a home in San Francisco’s Ingleside neighborhood last week pleaded not guilty to several felony charges during a lively arraignment hearing today.
Thomas Weed, 26, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Feb. 7 blast at a home in the 1200 block of Capitol Avenue near Ocean Avenue.
Investigators believe a butane tank exploded as Weed and 33-year-old Angelic Cisneros were trying to manufacture hash oil at the home, prosecutor Andrew Clark said outside of court today.
Cisneros and her 12-year-old son were injured in the explosion. The boy’s injuries required him to get skin grafts on his face and body, and he remained at the hospital as of today, Clark said.
Cisneros was arrested the day after the blast and has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of recklessly causing a fire resulting in bodily injury, causing a fire to a structure, child endangerment, attempting to manufacture a controlled substance, and having a house used for drug sales and manufacturing, prosecutors said.
Police investigators later identified Weed as a second suspect in the explosion and he was arrested Tuesday with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service.
During his arraignment this afternoon on charges identical to those Cisneros is facing, Weed initially refused to waive his right to have a preliminary hearing within 10 court days, apparently out of concern that he would get ratted out by Cisneros.
“I don’t want any time for her to come up with lies against me,” he told his defense attorney George Borges. “I didn’t get burned, I wasn’t there.”
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Ulmer gently recommended that Weed listen to the advice of his attorney, who wanted to waive the right so he would have more time to look at the evidence in the case.
“Mr. Borges has been in court a little more than you have,” Ulmer said.
After a long pause, Weed acquiesced and agreed to the time waiver, telling his attorney “I want to give you the time to do what you have to do.”
Ulmer ordered Weed held in custody on $350,000 bail, the same amount as Cisneros.
They will both return to court on Feb. 27 to set a date for the preliminary hearing.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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