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Stanley Williams, 71, charged with arson of a dwelling and malicious destruction of property over $1,200, was released on his own recognizance and told to return to court on Feb. 24, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Last month, a woman called police to her Seaver Street apartment to report that a man she knew, later identified as Williams, was banging on her door trying to get inside, the prosecutor said. When officers arrived, they saw burn marks on the door and a doormat leading to her apartment.
She told police that she noticed the fire after he stopped banging on the door and was able to put out the flames with a glass of water before it spread. Police arrested him on Monday.
District Attorney Kevin Hayden said she stopped a potential catastrophe.
“It isn’t difficult to imagine the potential consequences here if the victim hadn’t acted quickly to douse the flames before they grew out of control," Hayden said. "Instead of simply walking away from a situation where he wasn’t welcomed, this man made things much worse for himself and created a potential for a far more tragic outcome."
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