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The YouTube tirade against the town of Weston that led to the arrest of a New Canaan man constituted "a very real threat" according to the first selectman. The suspect, Scott DeiCas, 48, was arraigned Monday in Norwalk Court and is being held on $250,000 bond. In court, published reports say DeiCas denied he made any threats.
First Selectman Gayle Weinstein said she thought the threats should be taken seriously. "Given the fact that his threats on YouTube seem to be escalating, his tone when calling the Board of Education was very threatening and the fact that his comments were toward 'death and destruction'I think it was a very real threat," said the selectman.
To read the chat transcript DeiCas had with police during the standoff, click here.
DeiCas was arrested at his home at 295 Ponus Ridge Road early Saturday. He was a Weston school bus driver from 2007 to 2009. He is accused of making a suspicious phone call to an administrative assistant at the Weston Board of Education office on July 29, angrily asking for the Weston schools' director of finance and operations Jo-Ann Keating to return his call. Weston Police say DeiCas did not threaten her life, as has been reported by other publications. Weston Police Chief John Troxell said that threats were made against the first selectman of New Canaan and New Canaan police officers during a 10 hour standoff at his home, before he was arrested on Saturday.
DeiCas is also accused of posting a comment on the Weston schools website on the July 30 under the name "DEATH" that read "be ready Zionist scum," and posted a link to a video made by another individual in Colorado of a "killdozer" bulldozer reinforced with concrete that drove through town buildings. Another video comment read, ""KILL THE BEAST; I will start with the Weston, Connecticut Town Government!!!"
Troxell, who had originally asked that DeiCas be held on $1 million bond, said he believes the comments indicated a legitimate threat to the town. New Canaan police found several guns, marijuana, and LSD, which DeiCas claimed to be using, in his videos.
Weinstein's son, as well as the child of Selectman David Muller, had DeiCas as his bus driver. She said that when she talked to her son about the fact there was a disgruntled bus driver making threats, he immediately suggested that it was DeiCas. Weinstein said that he used to wear gloves, long sleeves, glasses, and a mask over his face and he would keep the windows on the bus closed and get angry if the children opened them.
Troxell and Det. Carl Filsinger said they are not certain what caused DeiCas to eruptso suddenly after being transferred from Weston to Stamford by First Student bus company in 2009 after parents in town complained about his behavior.
Weinstein said he tried to contact former First Selectman Woody Bliss about a year and a half ago about what he perceived as a problem with the bus garage, but the call was not threatening in nature. Troxell said New Canaan police arrested DeiCas in 2004 and charged him with road rage assault.
DeiCas was arrested after a 10-hour standoff at his New Canaan home Saturday that lasted well through the night into morning. His elderly mother was inside, although Troxell said it is not known if she was being held in the home against her will.
Troxell said New Canaan police are waiting on more warrants for the drugs and weapons found in his home. His computer, which Filsinger said matches the IP address of the machine that posted the comments and video, has been impounded and is being investigated further.
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