LAWRENCE — The man police said set four brush fires and a building fire Sunday was judged a danger to the community yesterday in Lawrence District Court and was ordered held without bail.
Rarn Pak, 34, homeless, of Lawrence is accused of one count of arson of a building and four counts of arson of personal property value over $25.
During his arraignment and dangerousness hearing yesterday, Assistant District Attorney Michelle DiFeo told Judge Mark Sullivan that when Pak was arrested, police found two cigarette lighters in his pockets.
Pak told police he used them to light his cigarettes, but police found no cigarettes on him when they searched him, DiFeo said.
DiFeo told the court that Pak had taken note of police comments about the stains on his clothing being from the underbrush, consistent with brush fires that had been set, and had ripped up his shirt and pants and soaked them in an attempt to destroy evidence while he was in a holding cell.
Police had linked Pak to as many as six fires set within a span of six and a half hours, all within walking distance of each other.
Police Chief John Romero said there were another 14 fires that investigators were looking at, many in which Pak could be a suspect.
Police said Pak admitted that he was at Pemberton Park, but denied lighting a fire under the Central Bridge, even though a witness had seen him leaving the area just as smoke billowed out from under the bridge.
Pak was allowed to remain hidden from view behind a door to the holding cell area during the hearing.
After the evidence was presented, Jessica Thrall, lawyer for Pak, stipulated that there was probable cause to hold him without bail as a danger to the community pending his trial.
Pak was ordered to return to court Sept. 8.
