Pawcatuck man charged with marijuana possession after apartment fire

Stonington — A man whose Pawcatuck apartment was badly damaged by fire last week was charged Tuesday with possession of marijuana after police say fire inspectors spotted evidence of the drug in his thirdfloor apartment.

Daniel Baker, 30, now of 9 Midway Ave., Westerly, was given a summons to appear in New London Superior Court.

Police said after the fire officials spotted the evidence while investigating the cause of the blaze, police asked Baker for permission to search his apartment at 37 Stillman Ave. He agreed and police discovered more than 52 grams of a greenish-brown plant material they presumed to be marijuana. They said Baker admitted it was.

The afternoon fire on July 26 caused heavy damage to the second and third floors, with the rear of the third floor badly charred. The cause of the fire is under investigation by state and local fire officials. A woman was home in the first-floor apartment at the time of the fire but she was able to escape. No one was injured in the blaze.

coffee shop, which also will have a drive-thru to draw busier customers.

The owners have decided on a name for the business, Mitzi's Coffee and Crêpes, to highlight a variety of sweet and savory crêpes that they plan to offer at the shop, such as a tomato, basil and mozzarella crêpe and a s'mores crêpe.

The Meyers and Cloutier were working on the renovation Tuesday afternoon, going

over architectural plans for the 2,400-square-foot space.

The renovation is "pretty significant," said Mitzi Meyer, and will add a kitchen to the building as well as plumbing improvements.

Part of the space, around 400 square feet, will be walled off for an office.

"We're anxious to be open as soon as we're where we need to be," she added.