An Auburn man charged with breaking into an office in a Fleming fire station indicated to sheriff's officers he did so in an effort to confess responsibility for starting a fire there two months ago.
Sheriff's deputies investigated a trespass complaint at the Fleming Fire House at 6063 West Lake Road at about 2 a.m. Sunday.
No one was at the scene when deputies determined that an office within the building had been broken into. A door in the building had also sustained damage.
Later that morning, sheriff's detectives took Peter D. Lewis, of 13 Myrtle Avenue, into
custody.
Lewis, 28, told detectives at noon Sunday that he was responsible, Cayuga County Sheriff Rob Outhouse said.
“It seems he was trying to confess his responsibility for the incident in April,” Outhouse said. Lewis was arrested and charged Sunday on two misdemeanor counts, for criminal trespass and criminal mischief. He was arraigned in the Town of Fleming Court and remanded to Sheriff's custody. He remains incarcerated at the Cayuga County Jail, pending the outcome of a July 11 appearance at Fleming Court.
Lewis had been arrested on a felony arson charge and a misdemeanor charge for criminal mischief after allegedly starting a fire in the Fleming Fire Department Station 1 April 14.
Lewis had called Cayuga County 911 after setting the fire, reporting smoke in the basement of the fire department, police said. At that time he had served several years as a volunteer firefighter for the station, and had claimed to be the first firefighter on scene.
Members of the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control determined the fire had been intentionally set. Following his arrest, Lewis was placed on administrative leave. Auburn-based state police said personal problems factored into Lewis' behavior then. He was subsequently freed on a $20,000 bail bond. The case is still pending.
Lewis was also convicted in April 2002 of third-degree robbery after entering a guilty plea to the charge he waited in the bushes outside the Ancient Order of Hibernians until closing time, and grabbed a bartender who had discovered him and asked if he needed a ride home. The bartender broke free and called police.
staff writer Olivia Goldberg can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or at olivia.goldberg@lee.net
No one was at the scene when deputies determined that an office within the building had been broken into. A door in the building had also sustained damage.
Later that morning, sheriff's detectives took Peter D. Lewis, of 13 Myrtle Avenue, into
custody.
Lewis, 28, told detectives at noon Sunday that he was responsible, Cayuga County Sheriff Rob Outhouse said.
“It seems he was trying to confess his responsibility for the incident in April,” Outhouse said. Lewis was arrested and charged Sunday on two misdemeanor counts, for criminal trespass and criminal mischief. He was arraigned in the Town of Fleming Court and remanded to Sheriff's custody. He remains incarcerated at the Cayuga County Jail, pending the outcome of a July 11 appearance at Fleming Court.
Lewis had been arrested on a felony arson charge and a misdemeanor charge for criminal mischief after allegedly starting a fire in the Fleming Fire Department Station 1 April 14.
Lewis had called Cayuga County 911 after setting the fire, reporting smoke in the basement of the fire department, police said. At that time he had served several years as a volunteer firefighter for the station, and had claimed to be the first firefighter on scene.
Members of the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control determined the fire had been intentionally set. Following his arrest, Lewis was placed on administrative leave. Auburn-based state police said personal problems factored into Lewis' behavior then. He was subsequently freed on a $20,000 bail bond. The case is still pending.
Lewis was also convicted in April 2002 of third-degree robbery after entering a guilty plea to the charge he waited in the bushes outside the Ancient Order of Hibernians until closing time, and grabbed a bartender who had discovered him and asked if he needed a ride home. The bartender broke free and called police.
staff writer Olivia Goldberg can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or at olivia.goldberg@lee.net