Accused of arson
City man charged in connection with fires
TROY, N.Y. >> A 39-year- old city man was arrested Tuesday night in connection with a number of fires on 4th Avenue in Lansingburgh.
Police Captain Rick Sprague said Duane W. Miles of Seminole Street in Troy was charged with one count of second- degree arson, a felony, one count of fifthdegree arson, a misdemeanor and two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.
He pleaded not guilty to the chagres and was being held as of early Wednesday afternoon for lack of $25,000 bail. He’s scheduled to be back in court on June 8.
Sprague said the three fires were at 600 4th Ave., 671 4th Ave., and 598 4th Ave. Miles also broke a window at Saint Augustine’s Church.
The fire at 600 4th Ave is still being investigated.
Debbie Faraci, who has lived in a duplex at 602 4th Ave. for roughly 40 years, while her mother resides on the other side of her at 600 4th Ave., said the
incident occurred around 9:45 p.m.
“I was just getting ready to go to bed and the gentlemen who lives [nearby] was coming down the street to go to the store and he was pounding on the doors to tell us that the house was on fire,” said Faraci as she was sweeping up debris from the siding of her home Wednesday morning.
Faraci said her husband had a fire extinguisher and he came out and used it on the front of the house until the fire department came.
“It was just contained to the outside and we just had a little bit of smoke but that was all,” said Faraci. “It was really scary and thank goodness that they do have a suspect, but the firemen and the police officers were really great, they really came quickly.”
Sprague noted that officials do not believe these incidents are related to the series of fires last fall in Lansingburgh, which remain under investigation.