LAWRENCE — A man living at a homeless shelter on Winter Street doused the building with gasoline after being removed for smoking a cigarette in the facility's dining room Thursday night, police said.
Jeremy Drolet, 37, was arrested and charged with attempted arson of a building.
He did not actually start a fire and there were no injuries, but the 19 Winter St. shelter was evacuated.
According to a police report, at about 10 p.m. Thursday the station got a 911 call from Praxides Medina, manager of the Day Break Shelter, that a man was attempting to torch the building.
Medina told investigators that earlier in the night, Drolet had been removed for smoking a cigarette in the dining room of the shelter, a violation of the rules.
Drolet was told he was being suspended from the shelter for that violation, and to make some arrangements to get a ride.
Drolet responded that he was going to "change the regulations ... after someone dies," Medina related to police.
Then he said he was leaving to get some gasoline. When Medina asked him why, he said it was because he wanted to "get high."
A short time later, Medina went outside to the deck of the shelter and saw Drolet coming from the rear of the building carrying a red container. Medina said she smelled a strong odor of gasoline and called 911.
Police found that the back of the shelter was soaked with gasoline, and that the ground around the rear of the building had also been doused.
Drolet, who also reeked of gasoline, was taken into custody.
During his arraignment in Lawrence District Court yesterday, Drolet was held without bail and ordered to undergo 30 days evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.
Judge Thomas Brennan ordered Drolet to return to court on Dec. 30.
