Firefighters treated two children and their mother after a witness stopped an alleged ignition attempt.
DRYDEN, N.Y. — Firefighters decontaminated two children and their mother after a man allegedly poured gasoline over them and their Dryden home, then tried to ignite the fuel during a morning confrontation that ended when a witness intervened, authorities said.
The children were not reported physically injured, but their presence shaped both the emergency response and the criminal charges filed after the June 6 incident. Matthew J. Demming, 53, faces one child-endangerment count for each child, along with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree criminal contempt and aggravated family offense. Authorities have withheld the children’s ages, names and other identifying details. They also have not disclosed their relationship to Demming.
The incident brought law enforcement and firefighters to a residence on Schwan Drive shortly after 10 a.m. The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police were dispatched at approximately 10:18 a.m. for a dispute. While deputies were traveling to the home, witnesses reported seeing a white man pouring gasoline on the building and then leaving. Investigators said Demming had gone to the residence in violation of a court-issued order of protection. A verbal dispute began between him and the adult woman on the front porch. Her two children were close enough to be present throughout the confrontation described by authorities.
Deputies said Demming picked up a gasoline can from beside the house and poured fuel onto the woman, both children and the residence. The public account does not say whether the children were standing on the porch, near the doorway or elsewhere beside their mother. It also does not describe how much gasoline reached each child or whether the fuel soaked their clothes. Investigators have not said whether either child tried to run, cried for help or spoke with emergency dispatchers. Officials limited their description in a way that protects the minors’ privacy while leaving many details of their experience outside the public record.
Authorities said Demming then attempted to ignite the gasoline with a lighter. A witness intervened before the fuel caught fire and physically removed him. No flames were reported, but the absence of ignition did not eliminate the danger. Gasoline can remain on skin, clothing and nearby surfaces while producing vapor that may ignite from a spark or heat source. The woman and children therefore needed assistance even though they had no reported burns. The witness’s intervention ended the immediate attempt described by investigators, while the arrival of emergency personnel addressed the remaining exposure and fire risk.
The Varna Volunteer Fire Company handled the decontamination effort. The Sheriff’s Office did not provide a step-by-step account of that work, identify the equipment used or say how long firefighters remained at the property. It also did not report whether emergency medical personnel examined the children or whether they went to a hospital for observation. No physical injuries were listed in the announcement. Authorities have not disclosed whether gasoline entered the children’s eyes or mouths, caused breathing problems or produced temporary skin irritation. The available account establishes only that firefighters assisted in removing the contamination and that none of the three was reported hurt.
Fire crews also faced a contaminated residence. Investigators said gasoline was poured onto the home as well as the three people, but they did not describe which surfaces were affected. Fuel on wooden steps, siding, a doorway or clothing can create separate hazards and require different cleanup measures. The county did not report structural damage, an evacuation or a continuing closure of the property. No information was released about how the gasoline was collected, whether contaminated materials were removed or whether environmental officials were contacted. The lack of a fire spared the residence from reported burn damage, although officials have not provided a final property assessment.
The two misdemeanor child-endangerment counts recognize the alleged risk to each minor separately. New York law generally prohibits knowingly acting in a way likely to harm the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child younger than 17. The Sheriff’s Office classified each count as a Class A misdemeanor. The agency did not release the precise charging allegations or confirm the children’s ages beyond describing them as children. Prosecutors must prove each count independently, including that Demming engaged in the alleged conduct and that it created the type of danger covered by the statute.
The children also are included in the broader attempted-murder allegation as described by police, although the public charge list contains a single attempted-murder count. The county statement does not explain whether that count names one victim or rests on a theory involving all three. Formal court papers may clarify the allegation. Prosecutors reviewing the case could add, remove or revise counts depending on the evidence and the legal requirements for identifying intended victims. No such change had been announced in the available reports. Demming is presumed innocent unless the charges are proved in court.
Investigators have avoided releasing statements attributed to the children. That leaves the adult woman, the intervening witness and physical evidence as the main publicly identified sources of information. The woman told investigators that Demming arrived despite the protection order, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses also reported the gasoline being poured on the home while deputies were on their way. Authorities have not said whether those callers included the person who later intervened. They have not released emergency recordings, home-surveillance footage or photographs that might show where the children were standing.
Deputies located Demming nearby after he left the property and arrested him without incident. The official account does not say how much time passed between the confrontation and the arrest or whether the children remained outside during the search. Once Demming was in custody, investigators charged him with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree criminal contempt, aggravated family offense and the two child-endangerment counts. The contempt accusation relates to the alleged violation of a protection order, while the aggravated-family-offense count suggests prosecutors believe a qualifying prior conviction is legally relevant. Authorities have not released the earlier case history.
Demming was transported to the Tompkins County Jail and appeared through the centralized arraignment program at 8 p.m. A judge ordered him held on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond. The Sheriff’s Office did not identify his attorney, state his plea or list another court date. The agency also did not say whether the court imposed new restrictions involving the woman and children. Any protection order or release condition added at arraignment would be important to the family’s status, but no such document was included in the public announcement.
Future proceedings may require careful handling of evidence involving the minors. Investigators could use interviews conducted by trained personnel, testimony from adults at the scene, medical or decontamination records and laboratory testing of clothing or property. Defense lawyers may examine how the interviews were conducted and whether accounts remained consistent. A court also may limit public access to identifying information about the children. Their privacy does not prevent the prosecution from relying on their experiences, but it can reduce the amount of detail available outside the courtroom.
The case also highlights the narrow distance between the reported outcome and the danger alleged by police. The children left the encounter without reported burns because the gasoline did not ignite, according to the official account. That result depended first on the witness stopping the lighter and then on firefighters eliminating the remaining hazard. Authorities have not identified either child or the witness, and no family statement has been released. The official record therefore describes their survival through actions rather than personal accounts.
The children and their mother were last reported without physical injuries after decontamination, while the criminal case awaited its next court milestone. Demming remains accused of five offenses and subject to the bail set at his arraignment. No grand-jury decision, next hearing or resolution had been announced.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.