ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A Rochester man is in custody after he allegedly set an apartment on fire, donned the clothes of the homeowner, and began eating his food, officials with the Rochester Fire Department (RFD) said Tuesday.
According to the RFD, the second floor tenant of a Saratoga Avenue apartment complex came home Monday to find his upstairs neighbor in his clothing, eating his food, with a fire burning in the background.
The upstairs tenant was then held down by the second floor tenant and another civilian until first responders arrived on scene.
According to officials with the RFD, the upstairs tenant gained entry to the second floor apartment by kicking in the door. The RFD does not have plans at this time to release the suspect’s name or photo.
The RFD said that they were able to put out the fire, which had burned a hole into the living room of the second floor apartment.
An investigation showed that the upstairs tenant had lit the fire intentionally, RFD said. He was taken into custody by the Rochester Police Department for questioning. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the suspect is still in the RPD’s custody.
The suspect has been charged with arson in the second degree, burglary in the second degree, and criminal mischief in the fourth degree by the Arson Task Force.
The RFD encourages residents to get out and stay out in the event of a fire. If you do not have a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector, residents can call 311 to get one installed for free.
Check back with News 8 WROC as we continue to update this developing story.
