Bristol Man Arrested for Rigging Garage to Burn Down

A Bristol man, 30, turned himself in to police on Monday, Nov. 4, on a warrant for his arrest for attempted arson in the fifth degree.

Nicholas Braga, of 30 Smith St., allegedly attempted to rig a detached garage near his home to burn down on Oct. 12. He was arraigned and released on $5,000 personal recognizance, according to Deputy Police Chief Steven Contente. 

Bristol police officers reported that they found Braga in the garage with five open containers of gasoline after a neighbor reported a disturbance. Officers had to kick down the door to get into the garage, Contente said, which was filled with the smell of gasoline.

Police officers also found several strings and ropes connected together in the garage, Contente said. One rope was connected to a container filled with gasoline. 

Investigators from Bristol and the state fire marshal’s office also found some exposed wiring in the garage. The fire marshal’s office dismantled the ropes and removed the gasoline from the garage to fend off a possible explosion and fire.

Although the garage is detached, there was some "exposure" to the nearby house and other structures in the neighborhood, Contente said.