SOMERVILLE, NJ (Somerset County) – A Somerset County man has been charged in relation to an arson which occurred last month in Somerville, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
Dashawn Holmes, 40, of Somerville was charged with third-degree arson, McDonald said.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25, at around 11:57 p.m., emergency crews responded to a fire alarm activation at an apartment building located on East Main Street. Upon arrival, members of the Somerville Fire Department were able to extinguish the fire, McDonald said.
While on scene, Somerville firefighters located a tenant unconscious in the apartment. The tenant, identified as Holmes, was subsequently transported to an area hospital for treatment, McDonald said.
The Somerville Fire Marshall responded to the scene and determined the fire to be suspicious in nature. Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Crime Scene and Fire Investigation Unit and Major Crimes Unit responded along with detectives from the Somerville Police Department to investigate.
The investigation revealed that Holmes intentionally set the fire to the apartment, McDonald said.
As a result of this investigation, on Monday, Oct. 30, Holmes was arrested in Toms River without incident and charged. He was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing, McDonald said.
