New Haven Man Charged With Setting Fire At Halfway House In Montville: Police

MONTVILLE, CT — A man is facing several charges after state police say he set a fire at Cochegan House, a halfway house for ex-offenders, on Thursday while several people were inside.

Juan Betancourt, 42, of Whalley Avenue in New Haven, was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, interfering with an officer/resisting, and first-degree reckless endangerment.

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Troopers and emergency personnel were dispatched Thursday around 8:44 p.m. to Cochegan House, which is on Route 32 in Montville. A 911 caller reported a man had intentionally started a fire inside the building and fled. At the time, 23 other people were inside the building, according to state police.

No one was injured, according to the state Department of Correction.

Police identified the suspect as Betancourt and found him walking on Route 32. According to police, he was uncooperative and refused to obey commands, but he was taken into custody.

In a statement Friday, the state Department of Correction said the building's sprinkler system activated, and all residents were safely evacuated.

Andrius Banevicius, the department's public information officer, described it as a "small fire," which the sprinkler system was able to quickly extinguish.

The residents were temporarily relocated, but they have since returned to Cochegan House. It is a residential work-release facility or halfway house which serves adult men who are transitioning back into the community.

Banevicius said the department contracts with Cochegan House for its services.

"Its focus is on developing skills and resources to become responsible members of the community. In-house services include: room and board; needs assessments; support groups; assistance in obtaining employment; life skills training; and discharge planning," Banevicius said.

Betancourt was held on a $250,000 cash bond, and he appeared today in Superior Court in Norwich.