Man charged with arson for lighting multiple dumpster fires that damaged St. Paul buildings

A St. Paul man is accused of intentionally starting multiple fires in St. Paul earlier this month, damaging multiple buildings.

Prosecutors charged 54-year-old Charles Douglas Minarsich with two counts of arson on Monday.

The charges stem from several dumpster fires in the city’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood on the morning of Sept. 13.

RELATED: Dumpster fires that spread to 2 St. Paul buildings under investigation

St. Paul police and firefighters say they were called to a building along Payne Avenue near York Avenue just before 4:30 a.m. that day.

By the time they got there, a dumpster had flames shooting “well over” 10 feet tall next to a building, and part of that building was also on fire.

Additionally, a dumpster on another side of the building had flames rising from it and officers found a series of fires in the four blocks from York Avenue leading to Lawson Avenue.

(Courtesy: St. Paul Fire Department)

Charges

Charging documents state that multiple fires along that stretch were in dumpsters, one of which completely melted, and others were set in a pile of clothing on the sidewalk and piles of trash behind buildings. One also had a mattress on fire outside it, with flames extending into the building.

Firefighters managed to extinguish all of the fires, although some of the buildings were damaged.

The building near the initial dumpster fire hosts Sweet Sensation Bakery and Cafe and has three apartments on the second floor. Court records say the fire caused thousands of dollars in damage there.

As firefighters put out the flames, officers searched the area and found Minarsich with a stick in one hand and a lighter in the other.

A criminal complaint states that Minarsich told officers he was just walking around the area. He was arrested on a warrant from another county and later released.

However, when officers later reviewed surveillance video, it showed a man dressed the same as Minarsich walking up to the dumpsters, moving items around and then tossing a burning object inside before doing the same to other dumpsters.

Another fire

On Friday, officers responded to another fire on the sidewalk outside an apartment building just two blocks away from those earlier fires and found Minarsich standing next to burning coals.

Again, he had a lighter and a cart with coal matching what was on the sidewalk, but denied starting the fire, court documents state.

He now faces arson charges that each carry up to 20 years in prison.

His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
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