Man Set Woman, Building On Fire In Meriden: Police

MERIDEN, CT — A man is accused of setting a woman and a building on fire in Meriden in April, according to police.

Police responded to the 100 block of Colony Street on April 20 on the report of an assault and a fire. A woman was found to be severely injured during the incident and several residents of the multi-unit building were displaced, according to police.

Following an investigation, police said Timothy Wendell is believed to have, “with criminal premeditation, introduced an accelerant and set fire to the occupied building.”

“Simultaneously to this act, Wendell doused two individuals with an ignitable liquid in an attempt to set them on fire,” police wrote in a news release. “Also, while attempting to set these individuals on fire, Wendell set fire to another woman, causing her serious physical injury.”

The Meriden Police Major Crimes Unit, working in conjunction with the Meriden Fire Marshal’s Office, Connecticut State Police: Accelerant Detection K9 Team, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, secured an arrest warrant for Wendell, according to police.

Police said Wendell was seen walking on East Main Street on Wednesday and taken into custody.

Wendell was arrested and charged with first-degree arson, first-degree assault, two counts of criminal attempt at first-degree assault, and first-degree reckless endangerment. He was held in lieu of a $150,000 bond.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.