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Deputy's GPS Tracks Movements Before Arson
22 Jun
Summary
- GPS data showed the deputy's patrol vehicle near the fire scene.
- The deputy was scheduled to work the night of the April 9, 2025 fire.
- The victim testified that she had recently served the deputy custody papers.
The trial of former Oneida County Sheriff's Office deputy Aaron Alshaman, accused of arson and attempted murder, entered its second week on June 22, 2026, with investigators detailing their findings. Alshaman, 29, allegedly set fire to a Utica residence on April 9, 2025, prompting resident Jennifer Gudnaya to call 911 while fleeing with her infant and parents.
Gudnaya informed investigators she had recently served Alshaman custody papers for their child, a detail prosecutors may present as a motive. Alshaman faces charges of second-degree arson and four counts of second-degree attempted murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $250,000 or a $500,000 cash bond.
Lieutenant Christopher James Paravati testified that Sheriff's Office vehicle tracking software, Trackstar AVL, showed Alshaman's patrol vehicle, labeled 460, near the Gudnay residence on Kellogg Avenue shortly before the fire, which was believed to have started at 4:03 a.m. on April 9, 2025. The vehicle was tracked entering west Utica at 3:30 a.m. and leaving at 4:07 a.m., with a stop on Ney Street.
Surveillance footage reviewed by Paravati included images of an individual resembling Alshaman carrying a gas can. Additionally, Sheriff's Office surveillance showed Alshaman at the department's garage for 14 minutes after 3 a.m. on April 9, 2025, before parking his patrol vehicle next to his personal car. He was observed moving an item into his personal vehicle after clocking out at 4:31 a.m. that morning.
