A 35-year-old Silver Springs man was arrested earlier this week after he was accused of burning his ex-girlfriend’s belongings outside of a motel and intentionally starting a fire in his motel room’s bathtub.
On Sunday, April 30, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a deputy trainee responded to the Stage Stop Motel located at 5131 E Silver Springs Boulevard in reference to a criminal mischief incident involving personal property, according to the arrest report.
Upon arrival, the deputy trainee made contact with the female victim who advised that her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Lee Slusher, refused to return her belongings and had instead set the items on fire.
The MCSO report stated that the motel’s video surveillance footage was observed, and Slusher was seen carrying out the victim’s belongings to the backyard, where the items were then set on fire. The damage to the victim’s property was estimated at approximately $150.
Slusher was in his motel room and refused to step outside when MCSO deputies attempted to make contact with him. The arrest report stated that he then called 911 to report that “someone is banging on someone’s door.” Despite knocking on the motel room’s door multiple times and loudly announcing themselves, the deputies were unable to make contact with Slusher.
On Monday, May 1, another MCSO deputy and a deputy trainee responded to the Stage Stop Motel to assist Marion County Fire Rescue with an arson investigation. Upon arrival, smoke was observed inside the motel room located directly below Slusher’s room, and the occupants were evacuated.
Multiple witnesses told the deputies that Slusher was throwing random objects from his window, and smoke had also been observed coming from his window.
The deputies attempted to make contact with Slusher outside his motel room but were unsuccessful. The odor of smoke was becoming stronger, and firefighters pried the door open. According to the MCSO report, Slusher was standing close to the door, and he claimed that he was “just trying to sleep.”
Slusher was detained in handcuffs and placed in an MCSO patrol car. According to the arrest report, a search of Slusher’s motel room revealed that a notebook had been set ablaze in the bathtub, and the motel’s manager advised that it would cost approximately $12,000 to repair the bathtub, tiling, door, and damage caused by the smoke.
After being read his Miranda rights, Slusher claimed that the fire was accidental. He stated that he “dropped a torch” onto a stack of papers and it caught on fire. He then stated that he placed the papers into the bathtub, closed the door, and tried to go back to sleep without attempting to extinguish the fire, according to the MCSO report.
In the motel room’s bathtub, a charred notebook was visible, which Slusher identified as the source of the smoke and fire that caused the damage. During the post-Miranda interview, Slusher stated that he experiences “audio hallucinations” as a result of diagnosed schizophrenia, which he believed may have “confused him” and led to the events of the fire.
During the incident on April 30 involving his ex-girlfriend, Slusher allegedly burned a box full of notebooks in the courtyard of the motel. According to the arrest report, Slusher believed that those notebooks contained “documents of witchcraft.”
Slusher was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $17,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for first-degree arson of a dwelling or building with people present and criminal mischief with property damage of $1,000 or more.
In addition, Slusher is facing misdemeanor charges for misuse of 911 and criminal mischief with property damage of $200 or less.
An initial court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, and Slusher is also scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, according to jail records.