Castle Rock man faces charges after suspected arson at restaurant

A Castle Rock man was jailed after police tied him to two fires at Hideaway Bar & Grill on Jerry Street, a case that left one longtime local restaurant destroyed and 21 workers suddenly out of work.

Caleb Bishop, 46, remained in custody at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility facing charges that included arson, trespassing, tampering and theft. Police said the fires at 600 Jerry Street were intentionally set and happened on consecutive mornings, first around 12:30 a.m. May 12 and again the next day, May 13.

That timing mattered. The back-to-back blazes pushed the case beyond a routine fire call and into a broader public-safety issue for Castle Rock, where nearby businesses depend on steady traffic and customers expect the downtown corridor to feel secure. Repeated fire responses at the same address can disrupt operations far beyond one storefront, rattling employees, suppliers and neighboring owners who have to wonder whether their own properties are at risk.

For Bob and Becky Stroh, who have operated Hideaway Bar & Grill for 15 years, the damage came quickly and then worsened. The first fire damaged the back of the building and forced a temporary closure. The second fire left the restaurant a complete loss. The immediate impact reached 21 employees, who were left without work after the first blaze shut the business down.

Investigators said Bishop was accused of intentionally setting both fires, and the sequence of incidents helped police and fire officials build the case. Another wrinkle in the timeline is that Bishop had been arrested and released days before the fires, a detail that may prove important as the investigation and any future court proceedings move forward.

The charges now turn a single restaurant fire into a wider test of confidence for Castle Rock’s business community. Beyond the cost of repairs, insurance claims and lost wages, repeated suspected arson at a visible local gathering spot can leave a lasting mark on how residents view safety in the area and how quickly the corridor rebounds.