Man Accused of Trying to Torch JC Apartment House
An Endwell man has been arrested after he allegedly attempted to set a Johnson City apartment building on fire.
Authorities say 42-year-old Belven Fajardo has been charged with first-degree attempted arson, a felony. He also faces a misdemeanor count of fourth-degree criminal mischief.
Investigators say Johnson City police received a report of a man trying to set a building on fire around 4:45 p.m. on Monday.
The suspect left the multi-family apartment house at 197 Grand Avenue as the incident was being reported.
Officers discovered evidence that two incendiary devices known as "Molotov cocktails" were used to set the building on fire.
Detectives determined the arson attempt was related to a domestic dispute that had happened earlier on Memorial Day. Fajardo allegedly damaged someone's cell phone in that fight, which had not been reported to police.
Fajardo was tracked down by police at his Endwell home. He was taken into custody with assistance from New York State Police.
Fajardo was arraigned and set to Broome County Jail without bail.
On March 3, state police arrested Fajardo on drug and child endangerment charges after he allegedly reported an armed man was holding an infant on Marion Avenue in Endwell.
After a tense standoff, police determined the incident didn't happen. They said it appeared Fajardo had been hallucinating after using crack cocaine.
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