A 23-year-old northwestern Montana man has denied charges that he broke into a house on Flathead Lake last November, stole thousands of dollars in cash and set a fire inside, endangering the sleeping homeowner.
KERR-AM reports Shane Thomas Northweather pleaded not guilty Thursday to attempted deliberate homicide, arson, burglary and theft. District Judge Kim Christopher set an Aug. 21 trial date. Northweather remains jailed in Polson.
Charging documents allege Northweather learned the 84-year-old homeowner had at least $9,000 in cash in the house on Nov. 20, hours before the fire was set.