GROTON — A Groton man was arrested early Monday morning after admitting to setting his apartment on fire, according to the City of Groton Police Department.
John Barbour, 53, was taken into custody after police and fire personnel responded to a call of an active fire at 131 Thames Street, Apartment B, at approximately 12:48 a.m. Upon arrival, emergency teams detected the odor of smoke and found Barbour outside the building.
During the investigation, Barbour, whose date of birth is listed as Jan. 14, 1971, confessed to igniting the carpet inside his apartment using gasoline.
A search warrant executed at the scene led to the seizure of evidence from Barbour’s residence.
Barbour faces charges including Arson 1st Degree, Criminal Damage of Landlord’s Property, and Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree.
City of Groton Police Detectives, the Fire Marshal, Connecticut State Troopers, and K9 units from the Fire & Explosion Investigations Unit collaborated on the investigation.
Authorities noted that an adult female was in a different apartment at the time of the incident, but no injuries were reported.
This is not Barbour’s first encounter with the law related to arson; he was previously convicted of Arson 2nd degree in 2016 for an event that took place in Norwich, CT.
Barbour is currently being held on a $250,000 cash bond and is scheduled for a court appearance on June 17.
