A Brewer man was indicted Wednesday by a Penobscot County grand jury for allegedly setting a man ablaze while he slept and starting other fires last year.
Jonathan Williams, 22, of Brewer is charged with four counts of arson, one count of aggravated assault and two counts of violating conditions of release.
An arraignment date has not been set.
He was arrested and charged with arson on Nov. 15 after Penobscot County deputies were called at about 3:45 a.m. that day to a house in Levant for a report that a male resident had been set on fire while he was sleeping on the living room floor after a night of drinking.
Williams was visiting the man and his wife, according to court documents. The woman told deputies that she was originally awakened by a smoke alarm going off in the kitchen. She found a bowl containing burning cardboard with what appeared to be vegetable oil in a chair. She put out the fire and went back to bed but did not call 911.
About 15 or 20 minutes later, she was awakened by her husband’s screams, the complaint said. She allegedly found him in the kitchen trying to put water on his burning clothes with water from the sink.
The man suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns on a hand, his abdomen and a leg, his wife told investigators. He first was taken to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center but soon was transferred to the burn unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Information about the man’s recovery was not available Thursday.
In addition to the two fires at the Levant home, Williams was indicted for setting fires a week earlier in Brewer when he burned mail, photos, books and clothing next to a dumpster behind an apartment building. He was on bail for those incidents when he allegedly set the man on fire in Levant.
Williams remained at the Somerset County Jail on Thursday unable to post $10,000 bail. He is being boarded at the East Madison facility from the Penobscot County Jail.
If convicted of the most serious charge of arson, Williams faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. He also could be ordered to pay restitution.