Dean Weeks, Mass. firefighter, accused of booby trapping ex-wife's dryer to explode

(CBS/WBZ) CLINTON - Police say a Massachusetts firefighter who was supposed to fix his ex-wife's dryer as part of a divorce settlement, instead booby trapped it to explode as soon as she turned it on.

According to CBS Boston, Dean Weeks on Thursday pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection to the August blast that left his wife with severe burns on her legs. 

The Coulter Press reports that Weeks was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court and released on his own recognizance.

Doreen Weeks says she turned on the dryer after her ex-husband, a veteran Clinton firefighter, texted her and told her to test it, the station reports. She says she heard "tick, tick and then boom."

The explosion that followed reportedly blew her small dog out of the second floor window and left Weeks with burns severe enough that she was taken away in an ambulance.

Weeks says her ex-husband rigged the trap to get rid of her and claim the house for himself, CBS Boston reports. Dean was supposed to fix the broken dryer as part of a divorce settlement reached in August.

Police say Weeks showed up at the scene and tried to threaten his ex-wife into staying silent about the incident, CBS Boston reports. Two men that work with Weeks at his side business also told police he told them to lie if questioned about the explosion, according to police.