A 26-year-old man has been released after being misidentified as the person who walked into a northwestern Indiana jail, poured an accelerant on the floor and started a small fire, court records say.
Charges against the man were dismissed Wednesday, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported, citing court records.
The charges were dismissed because the detective filing the charges believes the man was misidentified as the perpetrator, according to a motion to dismiss filed Tuesday.
INDIANA OFFICIALS QUICKLY EXTINGUISH FIRE STARTED BY MAN IN JAIL’S LOBBY
A judge granted the motion Wednesday, according to court records.
A man has been released from prison after being misidentified as the suspect who started a fire in the prison’s lobby.
Surveillance video showed a man entered the jail lobby, doused the floor with gasoline, lit a stack of papers on fire and then tossed them on the floor, sending fire across the lobby. It was quickly extinguished.
INDIANA INMATE DEAD, 2 OTHERS INJURED IN STATE PRISON FIRE
No one was injured.
A jail consultant estimated fire damages at between $6,500 and $8,500, a probable cause affidavit said.
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A witness told police that before the fire, the man came up to her at the front desk and spoke erratically about the current and previous governors of Indiana and President Joe Biden. He was carrying a gallon-sized jug filled with a yellow liquid, she said.
