Man sets fire to apartment building after harassing woman, police say

A Uniondale man has been arrested and charged with arson and harassment after starting an early morning fire in New Cassel on Saturday, Nassau police said.

According to Arson Bomb Squad detectives, officers evacuated 20 people from three apartments on Prospect Avenue after the fire broke out at 2:30 a.m. 

The officers extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported, police said.

Dimitrov Henry, 30, of Northgate Drive, was responsible for starting the fire, police said.. He had already been taken into custody, accused of harassing a woman, 21, before police finished the arson investigation, officials reported.  Although police said the woman who was harassed lived in the building, it was not clear whether her apartment had been damaged. 

Henry was arraigned Sunday on charges of second-degree arson and second-degree aggravated harassment at First District Court in Hempstead. His case was adjourned until Wednesday and he remained jailed on bail of $500,000 bond or $250,000 cash, according to court records.

A lawyer for Henry could not immediately be reached.