REPORT: First witness testimonies in Alshaman attempted murder and arson trial

ROME- Tuesday was the first day of witness testimonies in the trial of Aaron Alshaman, the former Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputy from Lee, NY, who stands accused of setting the home of his infant son’s mother’s parents’ home on fire in the city of Utica, NY last spring.

***Check out day one of the trial here.

According to the latest updates from the Rome Sentinel, the baby’s grandparents, who are immigrants from Belarus, described how they were woken up in the middle of the night when they realized how their house was on fire.

Since the baby’s grandparents speak limited English, their testimony was translated for the jury to understand.

For context, the mother of Alshaman’s son and both of her parents were inside when the fire sparked on their back porch.

Security footage from a neighboring residence shows a figure, with a gas can, setting the back porch of the home on fire.

The defense team argued in previous opening statements that there is no way to tell if the figure captured in said security footage is Alshaman.

With that said, the defense also did confirm that Alshaman’s patrol vehicle just so happened to be nearby at the time of the fire, to which they contested he was at a nearby establishment checking out his new vehicle, which was being decaled.

Several members from the Utica Fire Department also took the witness stand and described what they discovered while investigating the fire.

The trial continues today with more witness testimony.

Generic gavel image.