Colorado man with same name as Alexander Mountain Fire arson suspect doxed online: "Horrible coincidence"
The man law enforcement believes is responsible for starting the Alexander Mountain Fire is 49-year-old Jason Hobby of Loveland. However, another 49-year-old Jason Hobby of Loveland says his family is now receiving threats.
The fire burned nearly 10,000 acres in Northern Colorado this summer, destroying nearly 50 structures, including 28 homes. Last week, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office arrested a Loveland man for allegedly starting the massive fire. He's now facing charges including arson and impersonating a police officer.
"It's a horrible coincidence," said Jason Douglas Hobby.
Hobby lives with his wife and young daughter and works with adults with disabilities.
He owns land on Storm Mountain and was devastated by the Alexander Mountain Fire, and shocked to learn authorities believe it was set intentionally.
"I feel like the whole community has been affected by this," Hobby said. "It's devastating. You have to be mentally ill to make that kind of choice and to act out against others in that way."
When the alleged arsonist was arrested, Hobby was surprised by how familiar his name was. To make matters worse, the two were born in the same year and live in the same town.
"It's like, do I have to change my name now? You know that name will be infamous in this community, and that's heartbreaking for my family," Hobby said.
It wasn't long before threatening comments started appearing on community Facebook pages, wrongly identifying him as the suspect.
"On one page, they had doxed me out. Put my address and phone number, all of my information, actually," Hobby said.
Hobby quickly posted to Facebook to set the record straight, pointing out that he and the arsonist have different middle names and birthdays.
"Yes, I live in Loveland, so does he. Yes, I'm 49, so is he. We're not the same person," Hobby said.
Hobby says Facebook admins helped remove the comments, and others shared his post.
"I feel really embraced by the good in this community," Hobby said.
However, it's been an anxious few days for his family as Hobby worries someone will try to retaliate against him for something he didn't do.
"We've had a lot of sleepless nights. We've been very much on guard. We've had to keep our windows closed. I'm checking my cameras all the time," Hobby said.
Hobby feels what happened to him is part of a concerning trend on social media.
"There's something about the internet culture that's created this really nasty way of communicating," Hobby said.
He says people often rush to judgment online and take punishment for others' perceived sins into their own hands.
"There's a lot of anger about this fire, and rightfully so. I'm angry about it too. People are just making these poor choices, not allowing the justice system to work," Hobby said.
Hobby hopes his story will serve as a reminder to think twice before posting.
"Take a step back from the keyboard, you know. Take a breath," Hobby said. "People need to wake up and get that hatred fog out of their minds and come to a calm and peaceful place and recognize that we, as humanity, must be good to each other."
Hobby says both the Loveland Police Department and Larimer County Sheriff's Office have been helpful to him. LCSO posted a comment on Facebook reminding everyone that doxing and harassment are crimes.
Jason Alexander Hobby, the man accused of setting the fire, was issued a $450,000 bond. Anyone with information about his alleged involvement in the Alexander Mountain Fire is being asked to contact the Larimer County Sheriff's Office Investigator at 970-498-5143.
